When Kent Lewis was diagnosed withprostate cancer his IsoPSA level was 20. Dr. Mark Pomper, a prostate cancer specialist and board certified radiation oncologist at the CyberKnife Center of Miami says, “An IsoPSA level is a score from a specialized blood test that measures structural changes in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) proteins to help predict a person’s risk of high-grade prostate cancer. IsoPSA looks at the specific structural shapes (called isoforms) of the PSA proteins. Cancer-related proteins change their structure, making this test more specific for identifying dangerous tumors than a standard PSA test, of which Kent’s PSA level was 12. An IsoPSA of 6 or lower suggests a low risk of finding significant prostate cancer. It gives doctors and patients the confidence to delay or avoid a prostate biopsy.”
What the IsoPSA number, or level 20 meant to Kent is, “I knew I had to get it taken care of. There are things I have to accomplish for my family. My daughter and her children live with me. I have to be in good shape for them.”
Three months before Kent’s prostate cancer diagnosis, his wife died from pancreatic cancer. He said, “I did not want my daughter and grandkids to lose another parent and grandparent. And I couldn’t be preoccupied with cancer, I had to get it taken care of.
Kent’s urologist said, “You have 3 options. You can watch it and don’t do anything. It doesn’t mean you’ll die from prostate cancer. You can have surgery and probably end up with incontinence, or you can do radiation therapy to kill the cancer. I recommend CyberKnife and the CyberKnife Center of Miami.”
Why CyberKnife Miami Is Different from Other Conventional Cancer Centers and Was Recommended to Kent: CyberKnife Miami was among the first CyberKnife centers to open in the U.S. in 2003, and its entire team puts patients first. You are the priority. You’re going to get treated with compassion, faster, yet just as safe and effectively using streamlined, high dose, non-invasive CyberKnife treatments.
Specialized Focus: The center only uses CyberKnife technology to treat patients. It’s all they do, and by doing it every day, all day, it gives the team extensive specialized experience compared to broader, general cancer departments. Plus they’ve been using CyberKnife technology longer than any team in SFLA, and are often asked to teach other practitioners at cancer centers worldwide on how to use CyberKnife most effectively.
Fewer sessions: Treatment typically requires only 1 to 5 sessions, compared to standard external beam radiation therapy, which can require 35 to 40 sessions.
Non-invasive outpatient care: Procedures require no incisions, no anesthesia, and no overnight hospital stay, allowing patients to maintain normal daily activities.
Reduced wait times: The facility prioritizes rapid access to diagnostics and treatment scheduling to prevent delays common in larger medical systems.
How CyberKnife Technology Works: CyberKnife’s advanced robotic stereotactic radiosurgery system also known as SBRT or Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy destroys tumors almost any where in the body.
Robotic mobility: The treatment unit uses a linear accelerator mounted on a flexible robotic arm that moves and bends around the patient to deliver radiation beams from hundreds of unique angles.
Real time tracking: Its AI, image and missile guided robotic technology tracks tumor motion in real time, adjusting the beams instantly to stay precisely on its target.
Sub-millimeter accuracy: The system concentrates high doses directly on the tumor while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissues and critical organs.
Kent’s Experience With CyberKnife Miami: “The process, the treatment and everyone I met there was great. Mario Tobon, the radiation therapist, I love him. Right away I felt like he’s here to help me! He’s very accommodating, knowledgeable and gives great instruction.”
“Maria Kristina Borgen, the patient coordinator is very helpful. Every question I had, she had the answer right away. There’s was no, I’ll get back to you. She makes the whole process easier and on your timeline.” To that Maria Kristina says, “I want our patients to have all, and as much information as they need right away. It helps them feel confident they made the right treatment choice. Plus it helps them relax.”
As for Dr. Mark Pomper, Kent says, “He too was very informative, knowledgeable and kind. He has a great bedside manner. He gave me good instructions, I followed them and I haven’t had any real bad side effects.”
“Kent adds, “Mario said I would have side effects for about two weeks, and how extreme they are will depend on my system. I had a bit of burning in the area treated and bowel issues. I didn’t take anything for them, and they are going away. I also had some fatigue but I didn’t let it stop me from doing anything. I’m anxious to see what my PSA score is after my next followup visit.”
What to Expect Over Time:
Dr. Pomper says, “Kent’s PSA levels should fall gradually over the next few months and years before bottoming out. You may see a fast drop at first, but erratic changes or temporary bumps (called a “PSA bounce”) can happen and are often normal. Kent’s life expectancy is long and normal.”
Regular testing: Doctors usually check your PSA every 3 months for the first two years, then less often if numbers stay stable.
If asked about CyberKnife for prostate cancer treatment Kent says, “I would tell them it’s worth looking into. It’s painless, sometimes I fell asleep during the treatment and I had a great experience with it.”
He adds, “I would recommend the CyberKnife Center of Miami. Everyone was welcoming, concerning, caring, personable and made it as easy, comfortable and stress free as possible. They took care of me.”
Kent says, “Hopefully I’ve got cancer behind me. I’ve got to be here for my family as long as I can be. I’ve got a lot of life to live and I’ve got a lot of time left.”
If you have prostate cancer call the CyberKnife Center of Miami for a consultation at 305-279-2900, and go to our website now for more information www.prostatecancertreatmentmiami.com