A new Gamma Knife service at Icon Cancer Centre Richmond is providing patients with greater access to one of the most advanced non-invasive brain treatment technologies in the world, expanding options for people with complex neurological conditions and brain tumours.
Delivered at Icon Cancer Centre Richmond, located on-site at Epworth Richmond, the service is the first private Gamma Knife, and only the second in Victoria, strengthening access to precision radiotherapy closer to home.
Gamma Knife is a highly specialised form of stereotactic radiosurgery that uses focused beams of radiation to target abnormalities in the brain with sub-millimetre accuracy, while minimising exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.
It’s often used to manage malignant tumours, benign tumours (including vestibular/acoustic schwannomas, meningiomas and pituitary tumours), functional brain conditions and movement disorders (including trigeminal neuralgia, essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease), and vascular conditions (including arteriovenous malformations and cavernoma). In some cases, it’s used when conventional neurosurgery is not possible, or alongside surgery as part of a broader treatment plan.
For many patients, treatment can be completed in one to five sessions, reducing hospital visits and disruption to daily life.
The new service builds on Icon Cancer Centre and Epworth’s long-standing partnership, which brings together Epworth’s hospital and specialist clinical expertise with Icon Cancer Centre’s dedicated cancer care and radiation oncology expertise, helping provide patients with access to advanced, integrated cancer and precision treatment closer to home.
For 46-year-old Croydon resident Kristy Rowe (pictured right), the availability of this new technology has already made a life-changing difference.
Kristy was diagnosed with a benign tumour in her early 40s after a vestibular schwannoma was discovered by chance in late 2020 during a scan for an unrelated condition. Because the tumour was very small, benign and slow-growing, her medical team initially recommended monitoring it with annual brain MRIs and hearing tests.
Five years later, when the tumour had grown enough to require active treatment, Kristy chose Gamma Knife treatment under the care of Icon Cancer Centre Radiation Oncologist, Dr Neda Haghighi.
She has now become one of the first patients treated at the new Gamma Knife service at Epworth Richmond.
“When I first received the diagnosis, I felt surprisingly calm,” Kristy said.
“Because it was clear from the start that the tumour was benign and very small, I knew I didn’t have to rush into any immediate decisions. I felt reassured having the time to carefully weigh my options between surgery and radiation.”
Vestibular schwannomas are benign tumours that develop on the nerve connecting the inner ear to the brain. While they can grow slowly or stop growing altogether, they can affect hearing, balance and facial nerve function.
For Kristy, who had no obvious symptoms and whose hearing remained unaffected following her diagnosis, the knowledge that the tumour could eventually impact these nerves was a source of anxiety.
By late 2025, however, the tumour had grown sufficiently for her medical team to recommend active treatment.
“I was hesitant about surgery due to the risks it posed to both my hearing and my facial nerves, and the recovery time involved,” Kristy said.
Following a referral from her neurosurgeon to Dr Haghighi, Kristy learned more about Gamma Knife and the unmatched precision it offers in targeting brain abnormalities while sparing surrounding healthy tissue.
She said being among the first patients treated at the new facility provided additional reassurance.
When I learned I would be treated on the brand-new Gamma Knife machine, it brought an immediate sense of comfort.
Because it was the facility’s opening week, there were additional Gamma Knife experts on site. For an anxious person like myself, seeing that level of specialised supervision offered immense confidence.
Dr Haghighi, who is the Icon Cancer Centre Victoria Gamma Knife Clinical Lead, said the technology provides an important additional option for patients with complex conditions, like Kristy.
“Gamma Knife enables us to treat complex cranial conditions with exceptional accuracy,” Dr Haghighi said.
“By combining highly focused sub-millimetre radiation beams with high resolution imaging and stereotactic targeting, we can treat challenging and deep brain and skull base tumours and selected non- tumour abnormalities. The accuracy of the Gamma Knife allows us to limit the radiation impact on surrounding healthy brain tissue and critical structures.
“For appropriately selected patients, treatment is minimally disruptive and recovery is commonly rapid, with many able to return to their usual activities soon after treatment.”
For mother-of-two, Kristy, the experience has also given her a new perspective on what matters most. Her own father died from brain cancer at just 56, making her particularly aware of how fortunate she is that her diagnosis is not life-threatening.
“Receiving treatment at a cancer centre and using a therapy shared by people literally fighting for their lives really puts things into perspective,” Kristy said.
“This experience has motivated me to stay fit, live healthily, and do everything I can to live a long life and be there fully for my two girls.”
Icon Cancer Centre CEO, Paul Fenton said the investment in Gamma Knife reflects Icon Cancer Centre’s commitment to expanding access to innovative cancer treatments and precision medicine.
We continue to invest in the latest technologies and precision oncology to ensure more people have greater choice and access to world-class care, closer to home.
Together with Epworth, we are helping expand treatment options for Victorians living with complex brain tumours and neurological conditions.
Executive General Manager Allison Evans said Epworth Richmond was proud to be the first private hospital in Victoria to offer the ground-breaking Gamma Knife technology.
“Having this world-class precision oncology facility onsite at Epworth Richmond provides our patients with a greater choice of advanced treatment options, all in one place,” she said.
“This non-invasive technology may not only improve outcomes for Epworth patients with complex brain conditions but also minimise the disruption to their lives.”
Find out more about Icon Cancer Centre Richmond and Gamma Knife here.