Conventional external beam radiation therapy is the
most common form of radiation treatment for brain
tumors. The goal of radiation is to destroy or stop a
brain tumor. Radiation success depends on several
factors: the type of tumor being treated (some are more
sensitive to radiation than others) and the size of the
tumor (smaller tumors are usually more treatable than
larger ones).
Some tumors are so sensitive to radiation that radiation
therapy may be the only necessary treatment. Radiation
can be used after a biopsy, or following partial or complete
removal of a brain tumor. When a tumor is surgically
removed, some microscopic tumor cells may remain.
Radiation attempts to destroy these remaining cells.