Novalis Tx is a radiosurgery system that is one of the most advanced cancer treatments available. Radiosurgery is a highly precise form of radiation therapy that uses a beam of energy shaped to match the outline of the tumor. It delivers energy precisely where it is needed.

The Novalis Tx uses a radiation beam that rotates around the patient. It can send energy anywhere in the body, from almost any direction.

Because the Novalis Tx is so precise, your doctor can be confident that the best possible treatment dose is delivered while healthy tissue is protected. The focused beam can even adapt to your breathing, making it effective for treating some lung cancers.

Other radiosurgery systems use a circular beam. Because most tumors have an irregular shape, the circular beam cannot cover them completely. Radiation treatment is not as precise.

Novalis Tx radiation therapy for cancer

Novalis Tx radiosurgery is used to treat brain, spine and other cancers.

Brain tumors treated with Novalis Tx include:

• Craniopharyngiomas
• Gliomas
• Skull base meningiomas
• Brain tumors in children
• Brain cancer that has recurred (come back) after treatment
• Other types of cancer that have spread to the brain.

Other tumors treated with Novalis Tx radiosurgery include:

• Lung, liver and prostate cancer
• Spinal cancer
• Pituitary gland tumors
• Acoustic neuromas

Novalis Tx radiation therapy can also treat seizures, Parkinson’s disease and other non-cancerous conditions.

Benefits of Novalis Tx radiosurgery

Precise radiation therapy

Using advanced imaging and computer systems, the Novalis Tx radiosurgery system shapes the radiation beam around your tumor. Novalis Tx radiation therapy even adapts to breathing and other body movements.

Benefits of shaped beam treatment include:

• The best possible treatment dose for the entire tumor
• Healthy tissue is protected
• Radiation treatments are safe, complete and accurate

With Novalis Tx, the shaped radiation beam moves around you, and the radiosurgery treatment bed is fully adjustable. Both the beam and your position can be adjusted so radiation only reaches the area needing treatment.

Faster radiation treatments

Because the Novalis Tx radiosurgery system is so precise, treatment can often be delivered faster than with other forms of radiation therapy.

• Treatment time can be as little as 15 to 20 minutes
• More comfortable than other radiosurgery treatment options
• Less chance of body movement, making treatment more accurate
• Treatment can be as short as a single day

At the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, your doctor and healthcare team will work with you to decide if a single Novalis Tx radiosurgery treatment or series of treatments is right for you.

Personalized cancer treatment

The Novalis Tx radiosurgery system can be used to deliver a wide range of treatments. This ensures that you get the best treatment for your condition. Other radiosurgery devices only deliver one type of treatment.

• Novalis Tx can deliver a more powerful dose to treat tumors deep inside the body or brain
• Some tumors previously considered untreatable can be helped with Novalis Tx

Novalis Tx radiosurgery is a comfortable, non-invasive treatment

With some forms of radiation therapy, patients wear a frame to keep the head still during treatment. The Novalis Tx system offers frameless radiosurgery, which is more comfortable for most patients. Depending on the area needing radiosurgery, you might wear a custom-fit mask to keep your head in the best position for treatment.

In most cases, treatment with Novalis Tx is not painful. You do not need anesthesia. Every patient responds differently to treatment, but many patients are able to get back to their normal routines a few hours after Novalis Tx radiosurgery.

After treatment, you might feel slightly tired, dizzy or have a headache. Ask someone to drive you home after your treatment. If you have questions or experience any side effects, talk to your cancer treatment team.