Brain Tumor Center

Patient and Family Education

Patient Success Stories

Success With The "Bladeless" Gamma Knife

Yvonne Johns' cancer spread to her brain, but thanks to Gamma Knife treatment those lesions are now gone.

After just one glance at Yvonne Johns' vibrant appearance, you would think she is quite healthy. After a quick discussion about her regular jogging and her wholesome lifestyle, you would still believe she is the picture of perfect health. You would never assume that for more than two decades, she has been battling different kinds of cancer.

It started in the mid-80’s with a diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. After undergoing treatment that included the removal of a kidney, Ms. Johns was in remission and cancerfree for many years. But in the 90’s, cancer came back with a vengeance. Her diagnosis was metastatic renal cell carcinoma which over time caused a tumor on her pancreas, small lesions on her lungs and eventually two brain metastases.

As a patient at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center (UMGCC), Ms. Johns can list the many different treatments she has undergone. One of her more successful treatments at UMGCC included Gamma Knife radiation therapy.

According to William Maggio, M.D., an associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and medical director of the Gamma Knife Center at the Medical Center, “The Gamma Knife is an alternative to brain surgery for many patients. In actuality, it is a bladeless ‘knife’ that emits more than 200 finely focused beams of radiation directly to the brain, at the exact location of the lesion.” In addition to being used on cancerous tumors, the Gamma Knife is often an effective treatment for benign tumors, arteriovenous malformations, and functional disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia.

Just like more than 2,400 University of Maryland patients before her, Ms. Johns opted for Gamma Knife treatment. After two treatments, she is proud to announce that her brain lesions are gone. Gamma Knife radiosurgery is recognized world-wide as the preferred treatment for metastatic brain tumors.

The University of Maryland Medical Center was among the first in the region to have a Gamma Knife and has the most experience in the mid-Atlantic region using this form of treatment. "Our experience using Gamma Knife, either as single or multimodality therapy, remains unrivaled in this area. We have a nationally recognized radiosurgery team that convenes weekly in a multidisciplinary fashion to ensure each individual receives the best possible treatment option," explains William F. Regine, M.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Physicians from different disciplines work together to ensure every patient has the best possible outcome. Because of this coordinated approach and advancements in cancer care, Ms. Johns is a testament that cancer need not be a death sentence. For many patients, cancer has become more of a chronic condition.

Yvonne Johns is now on a mission to educate others, particularly African Americans, about kidney cancer. She founded a non-profit organization, the Yvonne Johns Kidney Foundation, to promote research, education and early detection of kidney cancer.

For more information about Gamma Knife or other innovative treatments for cancer at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, call 1-800-888-8823.

This page was last updated on: September 23, 2009.