What to expect from stereotactic radiosurgery for meningioma

For a meningioma, stereotactic radiosurgery aims radiation at the tumour while reducing exposure to surrounding brain tissue. A mask or head frame helps maintain position during planning and delivery. Your team uses scans to account for the tumour's size, shape and location, including its relationship to sensitive structures such as the optic nerves.

Treatment may be delivered during one visit or divided into several sessions. You are usually awake and can communicate with staff. The treatment itself does not remove the meningioma; its effect develops over time, so scheduled scans are needed to observe the tumour and check nearby tissue.

Provide a complete list of medicines and tell your team about previous treatments, implanted devices, allergies, pregnancy or difficulty lying flat. Follow the instructions given for eating, drinking and medicines. Arrange a journey home if you are given sedation or medicines that may make you drowsy.

Plan a quieter period after treatment and take any prescribed medicine as directed. Headache, tiredness, nausea or temporary swelling-related symptoms can occur. Ask when you may drive, return to work and resume normal activity, and keep every follow-up appointment.

Contact your team promptly for a severe or worsening headache, repeated vomiting, a seizure, new weakness, confusion, speech or vision changes, or difficulty walking. Sudden unconsciousness or a seizure that continues requires emergency help. Early assessment allows the team to check for swelling or another neurological cause.

Ask how the meningioma's position affects the plan, whether one or several sessions are advised, what medicines may be needed, how vision and other functions will be monitored, and when the next scan is due.