In his first statement on his recent cancer diagnosis, King Charles III expressed “heartfelt thanks” for the messages of support he received, while praising British cancer charities for their work. “As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement,” the British monarch said in a statement released Saturday evening.
Charles also said it was “heartening to hear” that going public with his own illness had helped raise awareness of the disease and promote the work of cancer charities. “My lifelong admiration for their tireless care and dedication is all the greater as a result of my own personal experience,” he said.
With King Charles’ cancer diagnosis, the royal family is now facing what cancer patients and their caregivers deal with on a daily basis – how to support a loved one going through treatment.
Buckingham Palace has not detailed the type of cancer King Charles has nor any information about his course of treatment, but the palace did release the following statement:
“During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer,” according to the statement from Buckingham Palace.
The statement continued that the king began treatments. While he will continue to do official business from behind closed doors, he will not have any public appearances for the time being.
The statement concluded with the following message: “His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation, and, in the hope, it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”
Now the family is also using social media to shed light on how to support a cancer patient – from the perspective of friends and family as well as the treatment center a patient chooses.
Some of the advice to help friends or family facing cancer:
- Keep being a friend.
- Help with household chores.
- Listen without passing judgment.
From the perspective of a hospital or cancer treatment center, patients should be able to ask for support, financial information and information about treatment and cancer.
The experts at the CyberKnife Center of Miami, a premier radiation cancer treatment center in South Florida, have been helping guide patients through their cancer diagnosis and navigate them through their treatments since we opened our doors more than two decades ago. We know care and compassion from both friends and family as well as a treatment center make all the difference in the world for patients facing cancer.
CyberKnife Miami: The ‘Royal’ Treatment for Cancer Patients
“Everyone at CyberKnife Miami made me feel so comfortable and are so nice. I can’t say enough great things about them,” says CyberKnife Center of Miami patient Mike Cibula, who was treated for prostate cancer 10 years ago.
“All of the doctors work together as a team. They were all there for my first treatment, and they continued to call to see how I was doing. Their compassion is just incredible.”
CyberKnife Miami uses state-of-the-art image-guided radiotherapy called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to treat cancer and other medical issues requiring radiation. But CyberKnife Miami is much more than just a cancer treatment center. We help make a difficult diagnosis more manageable.
“I think the most common comment I get from patients is that ‘you probably have no idea how good your staff is. They take a potentially frightening experience and make it a warm and friendly one,” says Dr. Mark Pomper, medical director of CyberKnife Miami and board-certified radiation oncologist when asked, what sets CyberKnife Miami apart from other centers or hospitals. We answer each and every call we can when we are in the office. If we absolutely cannot, we will call you back right away.
We coordinate your care including any necessary tests or imaging. We help our patients, and their caregivers get through any paperwork insurance issues, or questions they have. And perhaps most important – we listen.
“We answer their (patients’) questions, give them comfort, reassurance, and always extend that line of communication because that’s a big part,” says CyberKnife Miami’s chief patient coordinator, Maria Kristina Borgen. “We’re always there for them, whatever they need.”
Patients are not just a number to us. They are human beings, and they need and want personalized attention, especially during a tough time like this. We help them get through this process as easily and quickly as possible, while at the same time providing them with the most effective treatment for their particular type of cancer.
Here’s what some of our happy patients have said about Dr. Mark Pomper:
Don ~ “I showed Dr. Pomper a picture of my family and grandchildren and said, this is why I am here. I want more time with them. Dr. Pomper laid out all the objective facts and was the most gracious doctor I talked to. I was convinced and moved forward with treatment at CyberKnife Miami and Dr. Pomper. For the first time I felt confident I was on the right track and slept well that night as did my family.”
Cynthia ~ “The staff at CyberKnife Miami is so welcoming. They make you feel relaxed, not scared. You do not feel like you are having medical treatment. I actually enjoyed being there.”
Joe ~ “When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I thought my world was coming to an end. Dr. Pomper is very compassionate, he explained everything very professionally and he addressed my fears because I was very nervous.”
Maria ~ “A lot of people do not know CyberKnife exists. Doctors should tell patients about it and give them that option. For me, it was like a miracle. Plus, the staff at the CyberKnife Center of Miami are awesome. It is quiet and private and everyone makes you feel so comfortable. They take all your fears away.”
Harold ~ “What my wife and I loved the most is the incredible professionalism and responsiveness from everyone at CyberKnife Miami. From Dr. Pomper to Mario Tobon the Radiation Therapist, to Maria Borgen, the Scheduling Coordinator who set everything up for us, and Gail Suarez the Vice President of Operations. They made it all so easy. I have not seen anything like that in a long time. Everyone was so thorough and carried through every little detail. It is quite a contrast from what you sometimes experience in the medical world today. There was not one thing that was negative or that I was nervous about at all. I want everyone to know about CyberKnife and the CyberKnife Center of Miami. It is such a positive experience.”
CyberKnife Treatment Miami
CyberKnife Miami is a free-standing outpatient cancer treatment center.
We treat spine, brain, lung, lymph node, kidney, pancreas, liver, prostate, metastatic lesions, and persistent head and neck tumors. We also treat lymphoma and other conditions in the body where radiation treatment is necessary.
CyberKnife’s missile guidance technology enables the SBRT to track a tumor’s movement in real-time. The technology delivers radiation directly to the tumor, while leaving healthy surrounding tissue unharmed.
With CyberKnife, patients will receive a shorter course of treatment than with traditional radiation because SBRT is targeted radiation.
Side effects from CyberKnife often depend on the area being treated, the type of cancer a patient has, and a person’s overall health. But with the technology of CyberKnife, we do everything we can to minimize side effects.
Our doctors and staff are experts in the field. Our compassion and personalized treatment can be the difference you need when it comes to treating your cancer. If you would like to find out more about treatment with CyberKnife call us at 305-279-2900 or go to our website now for more information www.cyberknifemiami.com.