How Does Cyberknife Work
One of the major obstacles to treating prostate cancer is the fact that the tumors in and around the prostate can involuntarily and unpredictably move throughout treatment as much as 5 mm in as little as 30 seconds. These movements can be due to natural occurrences such as the bladder filling and gas in the bowel. The CyberKnife hurdles these obstacles. The CyberKnife System works by combining a robotic arm with an imaging system. The robotic arm is flexible and moves around the body ensuring precision by reaching your tumor at hundreds of different angles with its beams of high-dose radiation. The imaging system tracks your tumor during the entire treatment process and sends the information to the robotic arm to guide its every movement. With this range of motion, the CyberKnife System is able to avoid healthy tissue and form its emitted radiation to the exact shape of the patients prostate tumor.
This advanced stereotactic radiosurgery system is the most precise available. Instead of surgery, or targeting general regions with large doses of radiation, we are able to use pin-point accuracy within the thickness of a dime. CyberKnife also provides treatment without invasive surgery, within a weeks time and with minimal side effects. Our Orange County radiation oncology experts can work closely with your medical team to use the CyberKnife system for stand alone treatment as well as for treatment that complements other treatment options including surgery and/or chemotherapy.
Plan Generation And Analysis Of Dosimetric Parameters
The databases of a thin-cut 3mm CT scans were fused with 1.5T MRI. The prescription dose was 5 fractions of 7.25Gy to the 80% isodose. The corresponding dose was 36.25Gy, with at least 98% coverage of the PTV. The potential maximum coverage of 100% of the prescribed dose covered 2% of PTV. This corresponds to a biological equivalent dose of approximately 90Gy by the / value of 1.5 for prostate, 3 for rectum and 6 for urinary bladder . Similar dose objectives adapted to the criteria of ICRU 83 were used by the planning for VMAT, SW, HT, as well as for CK.
The clinical target volume and planning target volume were defined according to Boehmer et al. . The CTV included the prostate directly without seminal vesicles. A 3mm margin in the dorsal direction and 5mm margin in ventral and lateral directions was further added for PTV delineation. The prescription dose was limited to 80% in order to restrict maximum dose to the prostatic urethra with 110% of the prescription dose. To assess the PTV coverage, we have used the following parameters: PTVV80% percentage volume of PTV receiving 36.25Gy PTVD2% and PTVD98% – maximum and mean dose to the PTV. The dose-volume objectives for the OAR are presented in Table . The dose constraints for OAR, furthermore, had met qualifying criteria per the Quantitative Analyses of Normal Tissue Effects in the Clinic reports . The patient-averaged dose-volume histograms were statistically analyzed for PTV and OAR.
Experience With Myqa Srs In The Usa
Patient-specific SRS and SBRT QA results look great using the myQA SRS even for very tight parameters of 2mm/2%. The digital detector QA workflow with myQA SRS is 106 times faster and easier compared to using film. The film-equivalent resolution for our QA measurements is the basis for better and more meaningful SRS patient plan verification with a high sensitivity and specificity to detect real dosimetric issues.
Yun Yang PhD, DABR Rhode Island Hospital, USA
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The Prostate Moves The Cyberknife System Adapts And Synchronizes Treatment Delivery With The Motion In Real Time
The prostate gland can move unpredictably throughout the course of treatment as much as half an inch in as little as 30 seconds because of normal patient bodily functions .1 Unlike any other radiation treatment, the CyberKnife System continually tracks the target, automatically adapts and synchronizes the radiation beam with movement of the prostate in real-time throughout the entire treatment session. This helps to ensure the radiation dose is delivered to the target maximizing treatment effectiveness while protecting surrounding tissues to reduce the incidence of side effects.
Cyberknife Vs Traditional Radiation For Prostate Cancer
With traditional or conventional external radiation, a patient receives treatments five days a week for a total of 35 to 45 treatments, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. With moderate hypo-fractionation radiation, which delivers a higher dose of radiation than conventional radiation, there are 20 treatments over four weeks.
But with SBRT, or CyberKnife, there are only five sessions because while the dose of radiation is stronger, its highly targeted. However, decades of research shows there is also a much lower risk of toxicity with CyberKnife than with traditional radiation.
The radiation beams are very, very precise, explains Dr. Mark Pomper, radiation oncologist and medical director of CyberKnife Miami in a YouTube video. CyberKnife technology targets the tumor with pinpoint accuracy, and the missile guided arm follows that tumor should the prostate move while the patient is undergoing treatment. The radiation beams always stay right on its target, so the risk of damaging surrounding healthy tissue or organs is basically null.
According to the maker of CyberKnife other benefits include:
- Excellent long-term cancer control
- Patients continue normal activities during treatment
Side effects of CyberKnife may include tiredness, and urinary and rectal irritation. Over the counter medication can help reduce them, and they tend to go away within a few days or weeks.
Dr. Pomper says the cure rate for prostate cancer with CyberKnife is 98-percent.
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Prostate Cancer Treatment Center Miami
If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, call CyberKnife Miami for a consultation or for a second opinion.
Whatever treatment option your doctor recommends, its always a smart idea to get a second opinion, and it is your right to do so. Whatever treatment you choose, it should be an informed decision on your part, and that responsibility is on you.
Whether it is CyberKnife or another treatment option, our highly experienced radiation oncology team will help you make the best decision for your particular type and stage of cancer.
When it comes to CyberKnife treatment, we have one of the most experienced teams in South Florida because we have been doing it the longest. That is why some of the most complicated and difficult cases are referred to us. We have treated thousands of patients nationwide, worldwide, from the Caribbean and right here at home in Miami.
Our goal is to get you treated as effectively, safely, and quickly as possible so you can get cancer behind you and back to your life before cancer. We will hold your hand every step of the way, helping you and your family get through this process as easy as possible.
If you would like to find out more about Prostate Cancer Treatment with CyberKnife, call CyberKnife Miami at 305-279-2900 or go to our prostate cancer website now for more information on what we do and how we do it. www.prostatecancertreatmentmiami.com
The Benefits Of Cyberknife Radiosurgery
Fortunately, with the painless CyberKnife® System of radiation therapy, there are few if any side effects. One reason is that CyberKnife uses image-guided robotics to precisely and non-invasively destroy cancerous and non-cancerous tumors and other lesions with multiple beams of high-energy radiation without affecting the organs and tissues surrounding the tumor.
In fact, the CyberKnife System is one of the safest cancer treatment options available. Despite its name, it doesnt involve any cutting. Because it is a totally non-invasive procedure, it doesnt pose the risks or complications associated with surgery, such as infection or hemorrhaging.
Also, the anesthesia used in the conventional radiation treatment for certain cancers can cause a lot of side effects, including nausea and constipation. However, there is no anesthesia whether general or local with the CyberKnife procedure, so there are none of these effects, and no recovery time is required.
The CyberKnife Radiosurgery treatment can often be completed in just one to five 30- to 90-minute sessions usually within a week or two as opposed to the dozens of grueling treatments lasting weeks or months with conventional radiation therapy.
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Proton Therapy For Prostate Cancer
Now lets talk about Proton Therapy for prostate cancer.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Oncology in December of 2019, proton beam radiation therapy may be safe and just as effective as traditional radiation.
While traditional radiation delivers radiation beams to the tumor, the radiation spreads beyond the tumor site which can damage nearby healthy tissue. Proton therapy is more targeted reducing the risk of damage to the area being treated according to an article published by the National Cancer Institute.
Sbrt Administers More Radiation Than Traditional Radiotherapy
Because it delivers radiation directly to the cancerous tumor while minimizing radiation exposure to healthy tissue, SBRT uses a much stronger dose of radiation than traditional radiotherapy. Traditional radiation therapy delivers two to seven beams of radiation, while SBRT delivers over 100 beams of radiation from a much higher number of angles. That means SBRT is much more powerful.
With conventional radiotherapy, its not possible to aim the radiation beams directly at the cancerous tissue thats why so much less radiation is used, to minimize the damage to healthy tissue. Because SBRT allows doctors to administer a much more potent dose of radiation, far fewer sessions are necessary. Traditional radiotherapy requires daily sessions for several weeks. SBRT requires only one to five sessions.
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Radiation Treatment For Prostate Cancer Using Cyberknife
CyberKnife is cutting-edge radiation technology also known as Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy or SBRT, according to the experts at CyberKnife Miami. It destroys prostate cancer with pinpoint accuracy leaving the surrounding healthy tissue virtually unharmed.
CyberKnife is an alternative radiation treatment for prostate cancer, with few, if any side effects.
Cyberknife Treatment For Prostate Cancer
CyberKnife treatment uses external beam radiation to treat prostate cancer.
Despite the name, CyberKnife does not involve a knife, cutting, or surgery for treatment. It uses a linear accelerator on a robotic arm to deliver radiation beams from hundreds of different angles to target and kill tumors.
CyberKnife also uses real-time Image-Guided Radiotherapy which tracks the tumor as it moves, targeting the cancer site with extreme accuracy, greatly reducing the risk of dreaded side effects like incontinence and impotence.
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Proton Beam Radiation Therapy
Proton beam therapy focuses beams of protons instead of x-rays on the cancer. Unlike x-rays, which release energy both before and after they hit their target, protons cause little damage to tissues they pass through and release their energy only after traveling a certain distance. This means that proton beam radiation can, in theory, deliver more radiation to the prostate while doing less damage to nearby normal tissues. Proton beam radiation can be aimed with techniques similar to 3D-CRT and IMRT.
Although in theory proton beam therapy might be more effective than using x-rays, so far studies have not shown if this is true. Right now, proton beam therapy is not widely available. The machines needed to make protons are very expensive, and they arent available in many centers in the United States. Proton beam radiation might not be covered by all insurance companies at this time.
Who Is A Candidate For Cyberknife
While CyberKnife is not the right option for everyone, it is 90% of the time and should be considered the first line of treatment for early-stage prostate cancer.
Educate yourself on all treatment options and talk to your doctors about which is best for your particular needs. For cancers that have spread to nearby tissues, CyberKnife may be combined with surgery, hormone and/or chemotherapy.
Its also very helpful in advanced or recurrent cases to slow the progression of the disease. If you have previously had treatment with CyberKnife, your doctor may recommend additional therapies based on your age, health condition, stage or grade of cancer.
The good news is cancer patients have multiple options for successfully treating cancer and CyberKnife is one of them. The CyberKnife was designed to provide precise and speedy treatment for cancer with as little impact on your life as possible.
Call our Prostate Cancer experts at CyberKnife Miami to see if you are a candidate for this state-of-the-art treatment and go to our website to learn more now: 204-0455 www.prostatecancertreatmentmiami.com
With The Beam of Life, CyberKnife Miami is giving thousands of people new hope in treating various cancers where there was none. Visit the CyberKnife Center of Miami located in Miami, Florida.
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What You Need To Know About The Prostate Long Term Side Effects Of Cyberknife For Prostate Cancer
A enlarged prostate can also cause blockages in the urethra. A blocked urethra can also damage the kidneys. A patient suffering from an enlargement of the prostate may have pain in his lower abdomen and genitals. If pain is present, a digital rectal examination will reveal hard areas. A doctor may prescribe surgery or perform an endoscopic procedure. If the enlarged prostate is not completely removed, it will shrink.
While the size of an enlarged prostate will influence the extent of urinary symptoms, men may experience a range of urinary symptoms. Some men have minimal or no symptoms at all. Some men will have a very enlarged prostate, whereas others will have a mild enlargement. Generally, the symptoms can stabilize over time. Some men may have an enlarged prostate but not notice it. If they have an enlarged colon, their physician can perform a TURP procedure.
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Delivered By Cyberknife Has Distinct Advantages Over Other Treatments
Having performed more than 1,500 CyberKnife prostate cancer treatments, if I didnt know better I would think that this technology was created specifically to treat this disease. It is completely suited to the specific challenges of prostate cancer treatment. Yet CyberKnife was first used mostly as a treatment for head, neck and spine tumors that were very difficult to reach.
The Food and Drug Administration opened the door in 2001 to the use of CyberKnife to treat other cancers in the body. Since then urologists and oncologists are turning more and more to CyberKnife, as are patients.
CyberKnifes primary advantages relate to reduced damage to healthy tissue surrounding the cancerous prostate tissues. This is largely due to CyberKnifes ability to precisely target a tumor in the prostate without radiating healthy tissue. Damaging healthy tissue is the leading cause of side effects from radiation treatment.
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More Than Two Decades Of Clinical Proof
The CyberKnife is commonly used for treating low- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer and is the only radiotherapy device supported by years of published clinical follow-up with a large number of patients.
SAFE AND EFFECTIVE
Prospective, multi-institutional study data supports the safety and efficacy of CyberKnife for men with low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer.1, 2
EXCELLENT LONG-TERM OUTCOMES
Clinical studies report CyberKnife provides excellent long-term disease control for prostate patients.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
20,000+ PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENTS
More than 20,000 men have been treated with CyberKnife.
References:
1 Meier. R. et al. Five-Year Outcome From a Multicenter Trial of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Low- and Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer. International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, Volume 96, Issue 2, S33 S34.
2 Fuller D.B., et. al. 5-year outcomes from a prospective multi-institutional trial of heterogeneous dosing stereotactic body radiotherapy for low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol 35. 2017 6S 35.
3 Zelefsky M.J., Chan H et al. Long-term outcome of high dose intensity modulated radiation therapy for patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. J Urol 2006 176:1415-9.
4 Cheung R., Tucker S.L. et al. Dose-Response Characteristics of Low- and Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer Treated with External Beam Radiotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2005 61: 993-1002.
Preparing For Cyberknife Treatment
Your team of trained specialists at Saint Francis will help you understand every step of CyberKnife treatment.
Before you have CyberKnife treatment, you may need:
- Fiducials Fiducials are tiny gold seeds that guide the CyberKnife tools to the exact location of your tumor. In preparation for the CyberKnife treatments, a Urologist will implant four rice-sized fiducials through a needle into your prostate during an outpatient procedure, similar to the prostate biopsy procedure.
- Patients will need to do an enema immediately before the fiducial placement procedure.
- Patients will need to take antibiotics for three days after the fiducial procedure.
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Side Effects Of Cyberknife For Prostate Cancer Patients
Cyberknife is considered a minimally invasive procedure. While there are some side effects, most patients only experience them for a short time, and they are minimal. However, some patients experience severe side effects in the rectum or bladder wall. Some of the side effects include:
-
Erectile Dysfunction
You may return to normal activities, but your doctor may minimize some physical activity on a case-by-case basis.
Heres The Breakdown Of Types Of Ebrt:
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy : This therapy uses advanced image-guided techniques to deliver larger doses of radiation to a very precise area. Since there are larger doses of radiation, treatment lasts only a few days as opposed to longer treatment courses with other forms of radiation. This therapy is less likely to damage surrounding healthy tissue.
The experts at the CyberKnife Center of Miami use a form of SBRT called CyberKnife to kill prostate cancer. Its not a knife at all, but a powerful state-of-the-art form of external radiation.
Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy :Computers map the prostate then aim radiation at the cancer. The treatment is give in lower doses of a longer course of treatment. Up to 45 days 5 days a week. This therapy is less likely to damage surrounding tissues as well.
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy : This is an advanced form of 3D-CRT. It also is given in up to 45 days of treatment. The difference is that it uses special mechanical blocking systems to help spare normal tissue.
Proton Beam Radiation Therapy:This therapy focuses beams of protons instead of x-rays on the cancer. This therapy allows for more radiation to hit the prostate while doing less damage to surrounding tissues.
With each of these treatments, there are side effects, which can include short-term complications including urinary and bowel irritation.
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