Ballywho News

For people with cancer tumors in places that are hard to reach, or whose health is so poor that surgery is not an option, the prognosis can be grim. This is especially true if their cancer is at an advanced stage when it is discovered, or has recurred after prior treatment.

But an innovative weapon in the battle against cancers once considered inoperable is helping doctors save patients – while sparing them the side effects and complications that can follow traditional cancer treatments. And it’s available right here at JFK Medical Center.

The kindest cut?

It’s called the CyberKnife^®, and it’s a non-invasive, robotic system that delivers precise doses of radiation to kill cancerous and non-cancerous tumors in difficult-to-reach parts of the body, or close to vital organs. With CyberKnife, there are no after-effects, as there often are with chemotherapy, or a need for recovery time, as there is with regular surgery.

CyberKnife sessions take from one to two hours, and are done daily for no more than a few days. Patients wear their normal clothing, can listen to music, and depart with only a little tiredness, if anything. Best of all, they can return to their homes and continue to participate in their usual activities.

With a CyberKnife system, physicians have the technology to attack tumors of the lung, spine, brain, prostate, pancreas, liver and kidneys with targeted doses of radiation. It has proven to be highly effective in reducing the size of, or eliminating, tumors.

(See a video of how the CyberKnife operates.)

How it works

Depending on the type of tumor, a body mold or, in the case of a brain tumor, a mask is made. This helps keep the patient as still as possible during the CyberKnife sessions.

A CT scan is taken of the area to be treated, to help physicians pinpoint exactly where the CyberKnife will be aimed. The scan provides an exact shape, size and location of the tumor. The CyberKnife software is then programmed so the robot delivers the designated number of radiation pulses, the strength of the pulses, and the direction they will be aimed. (The patient may or may not have the treatment the same day as the preparations.)

Patients wear street clothes, but cannot wear jewelry. They may bring reading material, a CD to listen to, and a bottle of water. Many people say that they are pleasantly surprised at how easy the CyberKnife procedure is, and how comfortable they are while it’s taking place.

(Hear a CyberKnife patient tell her story in this video.)

Weighing the options

Some patients choose CyberKnife after standard cancer treatments have not worked. Others have had successful treatment, but their cancer has come back.

Then there are men and women who simply do not wish to undergo any more invasive procedures. Some of them found CyberKnife when researching the remaining treatment options available to them.

Here are some common questions people ask about CyberKnife.

If you or someone you love, or a friend, neighbor or coworker, has a cancerous or non-cancerous tumor that has been diagnosed as inoperable, the CyberKnife could be the answer.

You can talk to someone at JFK Medical Center about this promising, non-invasive technology, or receive a physician referral, by contacting Consult-A-Nurse^® at 1-866-4-HCA-DOCS, or you may visit us online.