Michael Crosby: Founder & CEO @ Veterans Prostate Cancer Awareness Inc | Non-Profit, Prostate Cancer Education | 3 Time Cancer Survivor | Top Gun Fighter Pilot: There are a few approaches to Prostate Cancer when you are given the diagnosis of “you’ve got prostate cancer”. In my case it was deciding what approach to take in combating the disease that had just been discovered in your body. I want to think that my military training and education taught me to examine the target and determine the best weapon to destroy the “bad guys” or critical area without doing collateral damage to the rest of the surrounding areas.
The approach that CyberKnife offers the Radiation Oncologist is exactly like planning a precision strike with smart weapons. There is no need to use a 2,000 lb general bomb when a single snipers round will effectively kill the target.
After years of study, and thousands of patients I’m glad to pass on the article from the UK. They are definitely on the right track and while this simple headline sums up the study there are a number of other benefits to the employment of CyberKnife against Prostate Cancer. The cost of treatment is less than surgery, IMRT, and maybe the same as Brachy therapy but the industry refuses to do a complete TOTAL SYSTEM COST ANALYSIS.
The medical system will not do the study because the hospitals that charge for surgery, and the doctors that perform it see the CyberKnife simply as competition. Its not the patient they are concerned with its the business of medicine.
UK Study Reports – SBRT has 98 percent cure rate for prostate cancer
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) involves aiming several beams of high-dose radiation researchers said allows for a more concentrated dose of radiation while limiting the effects on healthy tissues.
An alternative method of delivering radiation therapy to prostate cancer patients had a nearly 100 percent cure rate, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center say stereotactic body radiation therapy, a method of directing several radiation streams at a tumor, was significantly more effective against prostate cancer than traditional radiation methods.
It also had a faster effect against the cancer, the researchers reported, as well as fewer short- or long-term side effects.
“Our hope is that the high potency of this form of treatment will significantly improve treatment of these patients,” Dr. Raquibul Hannan, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at the UT Southwestern Medical Center.
For the study, published in the European Journal of Cancer, researchers recruited 91 patients with prostate cancer.
With an overall cure rate of 98.6 percent, researchers found no metastasis of tumors at three- and five-year checks, and survival was 94 percent three years into the study and 89.7 percent after five years.
Some patients experienced urinary issues, including urgency, frequency and burning, as well as rectal irritation, all of which was temporary and reversed. A decrease in erectile function was seen in just 25 percent of patients, fewer than the number with conventional radiation or surgery, the researchers reported.
“The current form of radiation is 44 treatments given over nine weeks,” said Dr. Robert Timmerman, director of the Annette Simmons Stereotactic Treatment Center at UT Southwestern. “In contrast, the SBRT therapy we used allows the delivery of highly focused radiation in only five treatments, allowing patients to return to their normal lives more quickly. SBRT is both more convenient and has increased potency.”
At CyberKnife Miami we’ve successfully treated hundreds of prostate cancer patients. We are among the most experienced CyberKnife/Oncology team in South Flordia, nationwide and world wide because this is what we do, and only do all day long.
When treating cancer you want the best team you can find, giving you the best chance of beating it. Not only is our team among the most experienced, our team believes in compassionate care. We answer the phone, we return calls as soon as possible, we answer all your questions, we help you with the entire process making it as easy as possible for you, getting cancer behind you and back to your normal life as quickly possible, with the least disruption to your life. Chances are you won’t get that at any other cancer center. You can pull up to our front door, walk in and great treated right away. No medical maze to find your way through, no sitting in a waiting room waiting for hours to get treated. We put patients first. That is our promise to you.
Call the CyberKnife Center of Miami to talk to our top cancer experts or set up a consultation, or just to get a second opinion. We will tell you honestly what is the best treatment for your particular needs, whether that is CyberKnife or not. And one final thing, if your doctor says you’re not a candidate for CyberKnife or it won’t work for you, call a CyberKnife center near you because chances are, you are a candidate and if you are, you will be happy you made that call. Here’s our number 305-279-2900.