Gamma Knife radiation for brain tumors that spread from thyroid cancer
Original title: Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Brain Metastasis from Primary Thyroid Cancer.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
Doctors looked back at records of a small number of real patients, so this is not proof from a planned trial.
The short version
In a small look back at past patients, Gamma Knife radiation kept most brain tumors from thyroid cancer under control.
What was studied. Doctors at two centers looked back at records of patients whose thyroid cancer had spread to the brain and who were treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery. There were 10 patients with 40 brain tumors, treated between September 2005 and February 2025.
What they found. Thyroid cancer was a rare cause of brain spread. Out of 3,834 patients treated with Gamma Knife for brain tumors that had spread, only 0.26% started with thyroid cancer. In this group, treatment failed at the treated spot in 5% of the tumors. One patient had brain tissue damage from the radiation, and it went away without causing problems. Two patients grew new tumors in other parts of the brain. 80% of patients died during the follow-up time, and one of those deaths was linked to the brain tumors.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: For people whose thyroid cancer has spread to the brain, Gamma Knife may be a way to control those tumors without serious side effects. It is already a treatment doctors use. If this is your situation, you can ask your care team whether Gamma Knife makes sense for you.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a cure, and it does not mean people live longer. The doctors only looked back at old records for 10 patients. They did not compare Gamma Knife to any other treatment. The follow-up time was short, and most patients in the group died during it. The study authors say the small size and short follow-up may have shaped the results.
Source: PubMed, January 1, 2026 · Read the original
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