Metastatic cancer is the most common type of cancer the experts at the CyberKnife Center of Miami treat.
In fact, we regularly see patients who have cancer that has spread to the brain, bones, liver or lungs.
But our experts want you to know that CyberKnife treats metastatic cancers in a gentler way – without the harsh side effects of other treatments.
That’s because CyberKnife uses what’s called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). The technology pinpoints radiation directly at the tumor, leaving healthy, surrounding tissue unharmed. This way it can deliver the highest dose of radiation possible. And its image-guided robotic technology enables the targeted radiation to track a tumor’s movement in real time.
CyberKnife for Metastatic Brain Cancer
Metastatic brain cancer is a common complication of cancer and is the most common form of brain cancer according to the National Institutes of Health. Treating brain lesions with CyberKnife is often an option worth discussing with your doctor.
“For patients either not eligible for surgical resection of brain metastases or who elect for non-surgical therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery offers an excellent option for controlling a limited number of intracranial metastases,” according to the article in the National Institutes of Health.
“Stereotactic radiosurgery is considered standard for patients with one to four brain metastases, but emerging data indicate it may be an acceptable treatment for patients with up to ten brain metastases,” the article continues — citing a 2019 report.
CyberKnife for Metastatic Liver and Colon Cancers
Secondary liver cancer accounts for 25% of all the cases of cancer metastases,
according to the National Institutes of Health.
And the American Cancer Society says one of the most common cancers to spread to the liver is colorectal cancer. Statistics show between 20% and 25% of colorectal cancer patients will develop liver cancer.
While surgery may be the standard of care, CyberKnife is another option, and studies show its promise.
“The data for the use of SBRT in the setting of liver metastasis is encouraging. It offers a far less invasive approach to treatment with excellent local control and acceptable toxicity compared to hepatic resection or even other less invasive measures such as radiofrequency ablation and Trans arterial chemo/radioembolization,” the authors from the University of Tennessee write.
According to a Dutch study from 2021, with SBRT, the one-year survival rate for metastatic liver cancer was 84% at one year and 44% at three years.
“Treating liver cancer with traditional radiation therapy is not an option due to the sensitivity of liver tissue to radiation. CyberKnife’s tracking technology eliminates that risk,” according to CyberKnife Miami. “The system can continuously pinpoint and follow a tumor’s exact location as the patient breathes normally while on the treatment table, enabling 100 to 200 radiation beams to attack only the tumor from all different angles, leaving healthy tissue unharmed. It kills the tumor cells and over time the tumor disappears. CyberKnife Radiotherapy delivers high doses of radiation in three to five treatments with excellent control rates.”
CyberKnife for Metastatic Lung Cancer
Metastatic lung cancer can also be treated with CyberKnife.
CyberKnife for metastatic lung cancer shows “acceptable toxicity,” according to a recent study.
“The 2-year local control, progression-free survival, and overall survival rates were 89.1%, 37.1%, and 71.3%, respectively,” according to the study.
CyberKnife for Metastatic Prostate Cancer
When prostate cancer spreads, it tend to metastasize to the bones in 85-to-90-percent of cases, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The cancer can also spread to the lymph nodes, liver or lungs, according to WebMD.
Treatment goals for metastatic prostate cancer change from curing the cancer to managing symptoms, controlling pain, slowing tumor growth and shrinking tumors. Treatments with CyberKnife, can lead to better quality of life, and cause the least disruption to life during treatment.
The CyberKnife Advantage for Metastatic Cancers
There are some distinct advantages of CyberKnife for metastatic cancers.
- It’s noninvasive.
- There are no risks of infection or long periods of downtime like there is with surgery.
- The CyberKnife radiation beams, which target and destroy the tumor, are exceedingly precise. That means healthy tissue is unharmed.
- Treatments are outpatient and last 30 to 60 minutes.
- Side effects are minimal and may include fatigue and nausea.
- Patients can be treated repeatedly with CyberKnife.
CyberKnife Treatment Miami
If you or someone you love needs help treating metastatic cancer or if you want another opinion, contact the experts at CyberKnife Miami for a consultation.
If you would like to find out more about metastatic cancer treatment with CyberKnife, call us at 305-279-2900 or go to our website now for more information.