Nurses on the new Gamma Knife brain surgery team at Swedish Medical Center face a stark contrast in their work – they are providing high-tech, non-invasive treatment, but it can’t always cure advanced cancers in some patients.

Nurse Chuck McKibben, who staffs the team along with nurse Cathie Delauro, said the work can be bittersweet, but ultimately it is satisfying.

"At times it can be depressing to know you’re not going to be able to cure them," McKibben said. "But in the time they have, they will have use of their brain to fulfill their potential.

"It’s a positive situation. We are giving people either a possible cure or at least an improvement to quality of life. Some people we can treat and cure. Other people who have metastatic disease in their brain and the rest of their body, we can improve the quality of their life," he said.

Swedish Medical Center began offering the treatment in December, and McKibben said patients remember their surgery experience – many can recall the exact date of their procedure. "It is a central point in their lives, and we try to make it the best possible experience we can."

Gamma Knife is used to treat brain metastases, glial tumors, meningiomas, pinealomas, pituitary tumors and acoustic neuromas.

The treatment is especially promising and increasingly popular among those who suffer from acoustic neuroma, a cancer near the auditory nerve. The Gamma Knife minimizes the risk of facial nerve paralysis and hearing loss, risks that are higher with traditional surgery, according to McKibben.

Not all cancers in the brain are treatable with Gamma Knife, though. McKibben explained that the limiting factors for the surgery are the size and location of tumors. The Gamma Knife is accurate on a sub-millimetric scale, but there is some radiation scatter that can damage surrounding tissue.

"As far as size, the ballpark figure is 35cc volume of tumor. Treating more than that is not protocol," he said.

The Gamma Knife can reach tumors that were previously inoperable because of location. Because a computer is used to plan where radiation is applied, doctors can treat of odd-shaped tumors, as well.

Gamma Knife technology isn’t new — it began about three decades ago in Sweden. Surgeries were first performed in the U.S. about 15 years ago. The procedure has evolved and improved, and is now computer driven rather than manually controlled.

The procedure fits into a general progression toward non-invasive surgery, McKibben said. It’s an option that is becoming a more accepted and popular option for those with treatable conditions. Though Swedish is not the only hospital in Denver offering Gamma Knife – St. Anthony’s Central also offers it – Swedish Medical Center officials are pleased to provide a non-invasive choice to some patients.

McKibben is an experienced nurse with seven years of service at Swedish Medical Center and 20 more at other HealthONE facilities. He had been in surgery for 30 years and was looking for a new challenge when the opportunity to work on the Gamma Knife project came along. "I saw it as a challenge to me personally, something I felt I could do and set up and get underway. I think we’ve been successful."