BRAIN TUMORS ARE NOT A DEATH SENTENCE ANYMORE!

by | May 4, 2016 | Uncategorized

May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month & Brain Tumors Are Not a Death Sentence Anymore!

At CyberKnife Miami we treat all types of brain tumors very effectively.

Whether benign, such as meningiomas, acoustic neuromas, pituitary adenomas and cavernous angiomas; primary, such as glioblastomas or astrocytomas; or metatastic tumors, we treat them all with great success.

Nationwide thousands of patients suffering from brain tumors have been treated using CyberKnife therapy while maintaining quality of life.

Thanks to breakthrough advances in technology the CyberKnife uses radiation to ablate the tumors and stop them from growing.

The pinpoint accuracy of CyberKnife also minimizes damage to surrounding healthy tissue which can be a problem with standard radiation.

Despite its name CyberKnife is not a knife at all.

It’s completely non-invasive and is the most cutting edge radiation technology also known as Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS).

There’s no cutting, incision, blood, anesthesia, pain, few, if any side effects and no recovery time. You can resume your normal activities immediately following treatment.

Each treatment takes about 30 to 60 minutes.

Patients typically require only 1 to 5 treatments instead of 10 to 45 treatments with conventional radiation therapy. If tumors come back, we often can treat them again.

The CyberKnife System can be used either on a stand–alone basis or in combination with other brain cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, surgery or whole brain radiation therapy.

Unlike other radio-surgery systems – such as the Gamma Knife – the CyberKnife System does not require patients to be fitted with a rigid and invasive head frame and is done on an out-patient basis.

In the set-up stage, the radiation therapist will create a soft mesh mask that is custom-fitted to the patient’s face. This comfortable and non-invasive mask helps keep the patient’s head and neck still during treatment.

While wearing the mask, a CT scan will be performed. The CT data then will be used by the CyberKnife team to determine the exact size, shape and location of the tumor.

The medical team will determine the size of the area that must be targeted by radiation and the appropriate radiation dose.

The CyberKnife will move slowly around you during treatment and you won’t feel a thing.

It’s completely pain-free. Patients dress comfortably in their own clothes and can bring music to listen to during treatment.

Nothing will be required of the patient, except relax. In fact, patients often sleep through the treatment.

There are generally only minimal side effects from CyberKnife treatments which may include mild nausea and fatigue.

After completing the CyberKnife treatment, patients will schedule follow-up appointments.

Keep in mind that the tumor will not suddenly disappear. In fact it could take several weeks, or longer, to determine the effectiveness of the CyberKnife treatment.

Response to treatment varies from patient to patient. Clinical experience has shown that most patients respond very well to CyberKnife treatments.

CyberKnife Radiosurgery has been used for more than two decades with extremely high rates of tumor control and most patients are good candidates for treatment.

If you have been told you have a brain tumor you owe it to yourself to call CyberKnife Miami to see if you might be a candidate for CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery 800-204-0455.