A concern of many men diagnosed with prostate cancer is how their condition will affect their sexual function – especially if they undergo invasive surgery or noninvasive radiation treatment.
After all, the chance of developing erectile dysfunction (ED) has been known to occur in some men after a year or more following conventional radiation therapy for prostate cancer, and the risk increases with age.
Also, men who had a poor erectile function before radiation therapy are at a higher risk of developing ED following treatment. The reason is that conventional radiation therapy damages the prostate gland and seminal vesicles, the glands responsible for producing semen.
Does CyberKnife Help Prevent ED?
Fortunately, patients who undergo CyberKnife® radiosurgery to treat prostate cancer are at no increased risk of erectile dysfunction.
That’s because the CyberKnife System – also known as the Beam of Life – is a painless, noninvasive form of radiation therapy that uses precisely targeted energy beams to destroy cancerous and noncancerous tumors. Unlike conventional radiation therapy, CyberKnife was specially designed to not affect surrounding organs and tissues like the prostate gland – only the tumor.
Other methods of treating prostate cancer tend to affect nearby and adjacent organs, especially the prostate itself. But when this happens, there’s a greater risk of developing erectile dysfunction if blood vessels and tissues are damaged.
Is CyberKnife Better than Other Radiation Treatments?
Precision is the critical factor with CyberKnife Radiosurgery. Its robotic design and image-guidance technique enables surgeons to zero in on the best locations and angles for the concentrated radiation beam to enter and exit the body. This maximizes radiation dosage to the target the tumor while minimizing exposure to the healthy tissues surrounding it.
Not only that, but during the procedure, the system accounts for your body’s regular, uncontrollable movements – such as breathing – and makes adjustments to ensure accuracy and precision. The beams of radiation actually move if your tumor moves, which naturally happens in the prostate area as you breathe. That enables you to relax comfortably while the procedure is being done.
Safe and Effective Prostate Cancer Treatment
Not only has the FDA-cleared the CyberKnife System, It has been used successfully to treat conditions throughout the body, including prostate tumors, but it is one of the safest cancer treatment options currently available. Despite its name (implying a “knife”), it doesn’t involve any invasive surgical incisions, so the procedure is pain-free.
Plus, unlike conventional radiation therapy, CyberKnife has minimal – if any – side effects. Typically, treatments are completed in just one to five sessions – as opposed to the numerous treatments over many weeks and months as required with conventional radiation therapy. In addition, there is no recovery time required, so you can immediately return to your normal activities once the treatment session is over.
Prostate Cancer Physicians in Miami
At the CyberKnife Center of Miami, our approach is to provide compassionate medical care for you and your family. We know what you’re going through after a prostate cancer diagnosis, and we can assist you through it every step of the way.
Our caring radiation oncologists, surgeons, radiation therapists and staff at the CyberKnife Center are available to answer any questions or concerns you might have, and we strive to make your treatment experience as comfortable and efficient as possible. Our goal is to help our prostate cancer patients live longer, healthier lives and maintain quality of life while undergoing treatment and beyond.
Contact us today to see if you or a loved one is a candidate for the Beam of Life. Call us at (800) 204-0455 or contact us using our online form. And for more information on CyberKnife Miami, please visit our website at www.prostatecancertreatmentmiami.com We look forward to helping you get back to the life you love.