The Results of a New Phase ll Study Proves CyberKnife Radio-surgery Is Extremely Effective and Potentially Life-Saving
Lenore’s Story: “Surviving Ovarian Cancer Too Many Times to Count.”
MIAMI, FL. A new Phase ll study published in the medical journal, Frontiers in Oncology and announced at the annual meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists reveals that patients with recurrent gynecologic cancers had a 68-percent positive outcome from CyberKnife
Radio-surgery.
At 6 months after treatment, the majority of women had a complete response, partial response, or stable disease.
“CyberKnife is extremely effective and well tolerated”, says Radiation Oncologist Dr. Fahed Fayad, “We do what a surgeon does without a knife and without the toxicity of chemo. If the tumors come back we can zap them again.”
Coral Gables resident and ovarian cancer survivor is living proof of the study results. In April, 2006 Lenore Rivacoba was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She went to the doctor because her stomach was bloated and they found a tumor the size of a softball. Rivacoba underwent surgery and chemotherapy but the cancer quickly returned. “It came back with a vengeance and spread fast,” says Rivacoba.
After another round of surgery and constant chemo Rivacoba was told there wasn’t anything else they could do for her, but she wasn’t about to give up. “I knew ovarian cancer wouldn’t kill me, something else will but not cancer.”
She kept a positive attitude even though the cancer had spread to her liver, lymph nodes, outside her lungs and she lost her spleen.
As grim as things looked, a friend battling lung cancer insisted Rivacoba see his doctor who uses CyberKnife radiation technology to fight tumors. The CyberKnife is robotic radiation technology. The device delivers high doses of radiation with pinpoint accuracy directly to the tumor leaving surrounding tissue unharmed. The tumors are zapped and shrivel up while you get on with your life.
After a PET scan showed Rivacoba was a candidate for CyberKnife therapy she began treatment immediately.
Dr. Fayad says, “CyberKnife is an excellent tool to help us manage cancer like a chronic disease. We prolong lives, give people quality of life and keep them disease free.” Rivacoba says, “I can’t even remember how many times the cancer came back. They treated eleven lesions and we beat it every time. The only side effect I had was a little nausea and I felt tired but it went away in about a week.”
CyberKnife gives doctors another option for patients whose gynecologic malignancies recur, mainly ovarian and endometrial cancers. Another bonus, treatments are often done in 3 to 5 consecutive days instead of 5 to 7 weeks.
Rivacoba has been cancer free for two years and her battle began 7 years ago. “Right now life is perfect.” says Rivacoba. If it wasn’t for CyberKnife I wouldn’t be here today.”