Two-thirds of all cancer patients will receive radiation as part of their treatment plan, according to UT Southwestern Medical Center. Yet, the experts at the CyberKnife Center of Miami, South Florida’s premiere cancer treatment center of excellence, hear how patients fear radiation treatments.
That’s why we want to dispel some of the myths about radiation – especially radiation with CyberKnife. This should ease your angst and help you understand the risks benefits and misconceptions about radiation therapy for cancer treatment.
Myth #1: Radiation Is a Last Resort
Again, two-thirds of all cancer patients – that’s 67% — will receive radiation as part of their treatment plan. Many times, it can be the sole form of treatment.
Radiation alone can be used to treat early-stage prostate cancer, lung cancers, skin cancers, head and neck cancers, cervical cancers, brain tumors, according to the National Institutes of Health. It’s oftentimes the first line of treatment, and it can also be used to ease symptoms of metastatic or late-stage cancers, including pain.
Myth #2: The Entire Body Receives Radiation During Treatment
That’s not true at all, especially with CyberKnife — a noninvasive, external beam radiation system. CyberKnife pinpoints the radiation directly on the tumor using a technology called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).
See for yourself in this CyberKnife Miami video, which shows how CyberKnife targets the tumors by moving around the patient. This precision leaves the healthy surrounding tissue unharmed.
“The radiation we do is so focused that it causes minimal side effects,” says Dr. Mark Pomper, board certified radiation oncologist and medical director of CyberKnife Miami, in a YouTube interview on CyberKnife Miami’s YouTube channel.
CyberKnife can be used on prostate, lung, brain, spine, liver, pancreas, head and neck, and kidney tumors.
“Accurate and precise delivery helps minimize irradiation of the healthy tissues surrounding tumors and potentially the risk of side effects, which may lead to better quality of life for the patient both during and after treatment,” Accuray, the maker of CyberKnife, states.
Myth#3: Radiation Leaves You Radioactive
Not true with external beam radiation – like CyberKnife – which comes from outside of your body.
“When you leave the treatment room you are not radioactive and there is no radiation coming from you. This means that you don’t have to worry about close physical contact with loved ones. It is safe to be around other individuals, and you can go about your normal routine,” according to OncoLink.
However, with a certain form of internal radiation called LDR brachytherapy or “seed implantation,” typically used for prostate cancer, the radiation source is placed inside the body and is not removed.
The source remains radioactive for up to several months. While the radiation released is in low doses, which means it likely cannot cause any risks to those around you, patients may be told to limit prolonged close contact with pregnant women or children for a few months.
Myth#4: Radiation Treatment Can Lead to Developing a Second Cancer
This is a possibility, BUT research suggests it only happens in 5% of cases, and lifestyle and genetic predisposition may play a greater role than the prior radiation treatment.
More importantly, because of advances in radiation therapy – like the targeted approach with CyberKnife — the risk is decreasing.
Dr. Pomper says while there is a possibility of a secondary cancer from either chemotherapy or radiation, he has treated thousands of patients in his two decades at CyberKnife Miami and hasn’t seen that yet.
“Both radiation and chemotherapy can lead to secondary cancers,” says Dr. Pomper. “I’ve never seen a secondary cancer occur from radiation therapy treatments, nor have any members of my highly experienced team. And if it does happen, patients can be treated again with targeted radiation therapy like CyberKnife.”
“Because it can precisely target tumors, the CyberKnife System may provide a safe radiation treatment option even for some previously irradiated patients,” states Accuray.
Myth #5: Radiation Is Always Painful and Always Causes Side Effects
Again, pain or side effects from radiation often depend on the type of radiation you receive and the type of cancer you have. Plus, radiation may only cause hair loss to the area being treated, not the entire body.
That’s why the type of radiation a patient chooses matters, and that’s why if you’re looking at radiation treatment options, consider CyberKnife.
CyberKnife’s missile guidance technology tracks a tumor’s movement in real time. The technology delivers radiation directly to the tumor leaving healthy surrounding tissue unharmed. With CyberKnife, patients most often need a much shorter course of treatment than with traditional radiation and they experience fewer and more minimal side effects.
For example with prostate cancer, CyberKnife requires only 5 treatment sessions, compared to 42 with other types of radiation.
And the latest research could very well be a Game Changer: Just One Single CyberKnife Session May Be All That’s Needed to Treat Prostate Cancer.
Early study results look very promising.
Accuray introduced this novel strategy for prostate cancer treatment, unveiling the so called, PRO-FAST protocol at the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology meeting in Milan.
Dr. Andre Fodor from the San Raffaele Scientific Institute shared clinical insights on the PRO-FAST method, which aims to significantly reduce the treatment timeline for eligible patients.
The initiative underscores the growing trend towards accelerated cancer therapies for patients using advanced radiotherapy technologies.
To date 37 prostate cancer patients have been treated. Toxicity levels were low, and the one year follow up shows very well controlled PSA levels.
Researchers are only half way through the study but believe the PRO-FAST treatment is feasible in the not too distant future.
The CyberKnife Advantage
Here are some other advantages of CyberKnife treatment:
- 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 has been FDA approved for nearly three decades and studied in hundreds of clinical trials. It has helped save the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide – even patients who were told they couldn’t have more radiation, or their tumors were inoperable.
CyberKnife Treatment Miami
If you or someone you love needs help deciding what type of radiation is best for your cancer or if you want a another opinion, or you want more information on metastatic cancer treatment call the top cancer experts at CyberKnife Miami for a consultation. You can reach us at 305-279-2900. Chances are one of our team members will actually answer the phone. If we can’t because we are with a patient we will get back to you as soon as possible. That’s a promise.
You can also go to our website now for more information on everything we treat, how we treat it, and to see patient testimonials.