Both methods involve remote irradiation of the problem area. The differences relate to the intensity of the impact. Radiation therapy is carried out in a course of several sessions, which are performed with a certain frequency. The duration of the course is from 1 to 7 weeks. The method of radiosurgery involves the rapid destruction of the tumor in one session.
In both cases, specialized installations – linear accelerators – are used for irradiation. For the needs of radiosurgery, linear accelerators have built-in collimators that make it possible to irradiate small targets of complex shape, including those located near radiosensitive intracranial structures.
The main criterion for choosing the most appropriate intensity of exposure is the size of the cancer node. With the radiosurgery method, relatively small tumors can be removed at one time. The size limit is introduced due to the fact that the destruction of tissues is accompanied by the release of toxins into the blood and lymph, which are utilized with the participation of the kidneys and liver. Volumetric malignant neoplasms are best removed in several sessions. This allows the body to cope with intoxication without overloading the vital organs.