Yvonne Allen, of South Cliff, was first treated in 2005 when she had to have a five-hour operation, followed by a week-long stay in hospital.
Then last year, an MRI scan revealed that a second tumour had started to grow and the 68 year old was referred to the Leeds Gamma Knife Centre.

Less than 24 hours after having the 60-minute procedure, Mrs Allen was back at her home – and had even stopping off en route for some shopping!
The retired medical secretary said: "The whole experience was so completely different to the major surgery I had to remove my first tumour.

"The gamma knife is a fantastic machine, offering new hope and new treatment options for so many patients.

"I am just so pleased that I have been part of its first year of success."

The £3 million gamma knife has revolutionised the treatment of a wide range of brain conditions, including cancers. Doctors use 192 beams of gamma radiation to target and destroy abnormalities with pinpoint accuracy, avoiding the need for complex open surgery.

Mrs Allen explained that she will now need to wait and see if the procedure has been a success, as it takes a while to alter the DNA.
She said: "I'm feeling OK at the moment and I've had lots of support from my fiance Mike, my daughter Dawn and my grandson Alex.

"This new equipment is very clever and will give hope to other people in the same situation as me."

The equipment is known as the Perfexion – the most advanced system in the world - and is one of only four gamma knives operating across the whole of the UK. Kerry Jackson, chief executive of Nova Healthcare, which runs the service in partnership with the hospital, said: "To mark our first anniversary by treating our 100th patient is an important milestone for us.

"Gamma knife technology adds an extra dimension to the treatment options for people with a range of malignant and benign brain diseases and we are delighted to bring it to West Yorkshire for the very first time."

Mrs Allen was first diagnosed as suffering from a benign meningioma – a tumour that affects the linings of the brain – when she retired to Scarborough after spending her working life as a medical secretary in health centres at Shadwell and Burmantofts in Leeds.