10 Questions to Ask a Cancer Treatment Center

by | Jul 28, 2021 | Best Cancer Doctors, Best CyberKnife Doctors, Cancer Treatment

As the premier cancer treatment center in South Florida, The CyberKnife Center of Miami is committed to providing patients with the best care, the best treatment and the best access to information. 

We know navigating care and treatment can be overwhelming and confusing.   

That’s why our experts have compiled this list of questions to ask a cancer treatment center. CyberKnife Miami knows these questions – and the answers to these questions – can help guide patients and ease their fears. 

Cancer Treatment Center Questions 

1. What are my treatment choices for my stage and type of cancer? 

 At CyberKnife Miami, we take the time to talk to our patients, not only about the treatment we offer, but other treatments as well.  

You want a cancer treatment center to go over all of the options. While CyberKnife uses radiation to treat cancer, we know our treatment can be used as a standalone for some cancers or in conjunction with other therapies if needed. 

We can work with you and your referring physician to come up with a plan to target your cancer using multiple treatments if need be. 

2. I know radiation can be a treatment for some cancers, but what exactly is CyberKnife and what are the advantages? 

CyberKnife uses a state-of-the-art, non-invasive radiation treatment system for cancerous and non-cancerous tumors and other medical problems. The technology, called stereotactic radiosurgery or SRS and stereotactic body radiation therapy or SBRT delivers radiation directly to the tumor, while leaving healthy surrounding tissue unharmed. 

“CyberKnife is the most refined way to target a tumor and minimize the dose to normal tissue,” says Dr. Mark Pomper, board-certified radiation oncologist and medical director of CyberKnife Miami on CyberKnife’s Youtube channel. 

3. What treatment do you recommend and why is it the best one for me? 

Make sure a cancer treatment center really goes over a treatment plan with you and that you understand it. No question is too silly, and you can never ask too many questions. 

For example, CyberKnife can be used to treat cancers of the prostate, lungs, breast, kidneys, pancreas, head and neck, lymph nodes and brain as well as metastatic cancers and medical conditions like trigeminal neuralgia where radiation may be needed.

We can talk to you about these conditions and cancers, as well as why a patient may choose one treatment over another.

4. When is the best time to start treatment? 

When it comes to cancer, there is no good time to start cancer treatment. We know it’s disruptive and scary. But the sooner you start, the better. 

5. I’ve been told surgery is my only option. Is that really the case? 

With some cancers there are alternatives to surgery. That’s why we recommend getting a second opinion. 

“CyberKnife is often a good alternative to surgery and our results can be at least as good,” Dr. Pomper says. 

Studies show that’s the case when using CyberKnife for several types of cancer like prostate, lung, liver, brain, bone and pancreatic cancers. 

That’s why this question is so important to ask. 

6. What will treatment be like? 

Ideally, patients should ask a cancer treatment center to walk them through the treatment step by step.   

At CyberKnife Miami, we want to be completely transparent about our treatment. Here is a video detailing CyberKnife treatment. We believe if we show our patients what they’ll experience, it makes treatment less intimidating. 

7. What are the side effects of treatment? 

Make sure as a patient you get a straight answer on this one so there are no surprises. While every patient has different side effects in response to different treatments, you want to know what to expect and what to do if you experience side effects. 

At CyberKnife Miami, we know our treatment offers minimal side effects. “Because we are so precise in our treatment and we can minimize the dose to surrounding tissue, our side effects are minimal,” says Dr. Pomper. 

8. Who can I talk to about the cost of treatment? 

We know navigating insurance and cost is daunting, especially when patients are facing a cancer diagnosis. A cancer treatment center should be willing to sit down and help patients navigate and understand the finances of their treatment. That’s what we do at CyberKnife Miami. 

9. I’ve been told my cancer is inoperable and there’s nothing I can do. should I get another opinion? 

The answer here is absolutely yes. At CyberKnife Miami, we are the most experienced team in South Florida.   

That gives us the knowledge to treat cases that other centers may not treat. We’ve successfully treated patients who have been turned away from other cancer treatment centers. We’ve had patients fly to South Florida for our treatment because they know we can help them.    

You want a cancer center that will be a partner and a problem-solver. That’s where experience comes into play. So if you’re not satisfied with one consultation, go get another opinion.   

10. Can someone come with me for my treatments? 

Yes, someone can come with you to CyberKnife Miami, but we do have some restrictions because of covid-19. Make sure the cancer treatment center you choose allows you to have the support you need. 

Cancer Treatment Center Near Me 

CyberKnife Miami opened its doors 20 years ago and was the first CyberKnife center to open in the southeast United States. 

We treat patients from Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties as well as patients from across the country and internationally.   

CyberKnife has helped hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide– even patients who were told they couldn’t have any more radiation and in patients where tumors were deemed inoperable, like lung cancer patients and lymph node cancer patients. 

Cancer Treatment Center Miami  

At The CyberKnife Center of Miami, we have successfully treated thousands of cancer patients with excellent results.   

Our goal is to get you back to your life – cancer-free.   

If you would like to find out more about cancer treatment with CyberKnife, call us now at 305-279-2900 or go to our website now for more information www.cyberknifemiami.com