The AmericanCancerSociety estimates that in the United States, approximately 3-to-5 percent of all cancers will be in the head and neck region. In 2021, an estimated 54,010 Americans (38,800 men and 15,210 women) will develop head and neck cancer and 10,850 (7,620 men and 3,230 women) will die of the disease this year.
These tumors can begin anywhere in the head and neck region. Treatment options are based on where a head and neck cancer starts (e.g. tongue vs. throat) because each tumor site responds to treatment type in different ways.
The main two forms of treatment that can cure head and neck cancers are either radiation therapy or surgery.
Sometimes, chemotherapy and/or targeted systemic therapy will be used together with radiation therapy to improve the chance that the cancer will not come back or spread to other parts of the body.
Head & Neck Cancer Treatment in Miami, FL
CyberKnife Radiation Therapy has long been used to successfully treat persistent head and neck cancers including brain and thyroid cancer.
The CyberKnife uses highly focused and precisely aimed radiation beams that destroy tumors while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. It’s much more accurate than any other type of radiation.
CyberKnife, also known as stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), is the most cutting-edge radiation technology available today. It’s used to destroy tumors and lesions throughout the body with pinpoint accuracy, leaving surrounding healthy tissue unharmed.
There’s no cutting, incision, blood, anesthesia, or pain; few, if any, side effects; and no recovery time. You can resume your normal activities immediately following treatment.
Each treatment typically lasts 30 to 60 minutes and is performed on an outpatient basis. Patients typically require only one to five treatments. If tumors come back, we often can treat them again.
The medical team will determine the size of the area that must be targeted by radiation and the radiation dose needed to ablate the tumor. They also will identify critical structures where radiation should be minimized.
The CyberKnife will move slowly around you during treatment, and you won’t feel a thing. It’s completely pain free.
Patients dress comfortably in their own clothes and can bring music to listen to during the treatment. Nothing will be required of the patient during the treatment, except to relax. In fact, patients often sleep through the treatment.
After completing the CyberKnife treatment, patients will schedule follow-up appointments.
Keep in mind that the tumor will not suddenly disappear. In fact it could take several weeks or longer to determine the effectiveness of the CyberKnife treatment.
Response to treatment varies from patient to patient. Clinical experience has shown that most patients respond very well to CyberKnife treatments.
CyberKnife radiosurgery has been used for more than two decades with extremely high rates of tumor control, and most head and neck cancer patients are good candidates for it.
Rest assured at CyberKnife Miami, you’re working with the some of the most experienced and highly trained radiation oncologists, surgeons, medical physicists, and radiation therapists in the world. They will meticulously map out a treatment plan for your specific needs.
They will oversee your entire procedure, ensuring your experience is as successful and comfortable as possible.
To find out if you’re a candidate for life-saving CyberKnife radiosurgery, call the CyberKnife Center of Miami at 305-279-2900 & go to our website for more information: https://www.cyberknifemiami.com/head-neck-cancer/