Nearly 100,000 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumor each year in the U.S. Approximately 4% of those cases occur in children 0-to-14 years old and are the second most common type of cancer in children, after leukemia. Around 4,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in the United States.
There are more than 100 different types of primary brain tumors. The most common types are gliomas, meningiomas, and pituitary adenomas. About 72% of brain tumors are benign, while 28% are malignant. About 59% of brain tumors occur in females, and 41% occur in males. The median age for a primary brain tumor diagnosis is 59 years.
Brain Tumor Treatment: Instead of surgery, CyberKnife radiation therapy is now commonly used to treat brain and spinal tumors, and can be used as an alternative to surgery, or in conjunction with other treatments.
Today CyberKnife plays a significant role in the management of both non-cancerous and cancerous brain tumors.
What is CyberKnife? CyberKnife radiation therapy delivers precise beams of high-dose radiation directly to the tumor site. The technology uses a sophisticated image guidance system to deliver high doses of radiation directly to the tumor. It is a painless procedure done on an outpatient basis. As soon as the treatment session is over, which takes about 50 minutes, the patient goes home. No hospitalization is required.
That is why more patients are choosing CyberKnife over surgery. It’s also used to cure brain tumors that either cannot be operated on because of their location in the head, or for patients who cannot undergo brain tumor surgery due to their poor medical condition, or don’t want invasive surgery and all the risks that come with it, along with the long recovery process.
CyberKnife on the other hand is non-invasive. It delivers a maximum dose of radiation directly to the tumor from many different angles with sub-millimeter precision, thus resulting in higher success rates.
The emitted focused beams of intense energy destroy cancer cells, shrinks tumors and controls the growth of tumors. It further prevents the cancerous cells from multiplying, and destroys harmful cells while minimizing damage to healthy cells.
In addition, the CyberKnife system is equipped with automatic real-time motion tracking technology. That means should the patient move, the radiation beams will automatically adjust and stay directly on the tumor site, which minimizes radiation exposure to healthy surrounding brain tissue, greatly reducing the risk of side effects.
CyberKnife offers multiple benefits compared to conventional radiation treatments and surgery.
For Instance CyberKnife vs Gamma Knife:
Gamma Knife treatment is not as convenient or comfortable for patients, largely because most often an invasive head frame is bolted into the skull to prevent the patient from moving during treatment.
Plus, the entire treatment process, right from imaging, to planning, to the treatment itself, all has to happen on the same day. Typically, the head frame is mounted to the patient’s skull in the morning, followed by imaging scans. The patient has no choice but to wait in the hospital during the treatment planning process with the metal head frame bolted to their skull.
Compare this to CyberKnife: Instead of a bulky metal head frame, patients wear a soft, mesh mask during the treatment to keep their head from moving.
Nothing is required of patients during treatment, except to relax and lie still. The treatment is usually completed in four to five treatment sessions, over 5-to-10 days.
Thirty years of clinical studies with CyberKnife show very good results using CyberKnife for cancerous and non-cancerous conditions in the brain, neck and spine.
To find out if CyberKnife radiation therapy can help you or a loved one, call the CyberKnife Center of Miami and set up a consultation. Our cancer experts will help you determine the best treatment option for your particular cancer. Whether that is CyberKnife, surgery or any other treatment option. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Here’s the number 305-279-2900.