Being told you have lung cancer can be a frightening experience. But if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with the disease, you’re not alone. More than 200,000 Americans find themselves in this situation each year, and just because you’re one of them doesn’t mean you can’t overcome it.
The most common cause of lung cancer is smoking, but it’s not the only source. It can also develop as the result of secondhand smoke, exposure to certain toxins, or your family history and the related susceptibility to cancer.
One of the problems of lung cancer is its general lack of obvious signs until the cancer is advanced. Later symptoms include coughing (especially with blood), chest pain, wheezing, and weight loss.
The good news is that lung cancer is one of the most frequently treated diseases at the CyberKnife Center of Miami, where patients are reporting excellent results with this special kind of radiation therapy.
How Does CyberKnife Provide Lung Cancer Treatment in Miami?
This noninvasive, nonsurgical, state-of-the-art medical technology delivers very high doses of radiation to cancerous and non-cancerous tumors and lesions using image-guided robotics to destroy cancer cells. What’s incredible about CyberKnife is that it largely avoids damaging nearby healthy tissues, so it’s only targeting the cancer cells.
Because of its sophisticated technology, CyberKnife’s radiation beams are controlled to match the exact shape of the tumor; the beams are directed at the cancer from many different angles. Unlike traditional radiation therapy, which maintains one stationary beam, CyberKnife can continuously move to track and target the tumor’s location – adjusting to movement of the tumor’s location as you breathe. This spares healthy lung tissue from inadvertent damage.
CyberKnife also delivers a stronger and more precise dose of radiation, which destroys the tumor and lessens the chance of recurrence. Because the radiation is stronger, it requires less time treating your condition than with traditional radiation therapy.
Benefits of This Therapy Over Traditional Radiation
CyberKnife treatment is completely painless, typically takes 30 to 60 minutes per session, and is performed on an outpatient basis. Only about five sessions are needed in total, as compared to the many sessions necessary with traditional radiation.
You can dress comfortably and remain in your own clothes during the treatment, and you can bring music to listen to during the treatment if you wish. All you need to do during the procedure is relax.
There are only minimal, if any, side effects from CyberKnife radiation treatments, which may include mild fatigue. After each treatment, you can return to what you were doing beforehand.
CyberKnife is often performed on patients who are unable or unwilling to undergo invasive surgery. It is a viable alternative to surgery and/or chemotherapy, but it can also be combined with these options, depending on the stage and type of your cancer.
The dedicated team of radiation oncologists at the CyberKnife Center of Miami are able to treat most types of primary non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including squamous cell, large cell, and adenocarcinoma. For lung cancer treatment in Miami, CyberKnife is also great for metastatic lung cancer that started from renal cell cancer, melanoma, colon cancer, or breast cancer.
Of course, response to treatment will vary from patient to patient, but clinical experience has shown that most patients respond extremely well to CyberKnife radiation – and with less of the hassle associated with traditional radiation therapy.
Advanced Lung Cancer Treatment in Miami
If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer and would like to find out whether you are a candidate for CyberKnife treatment, call our friendly staff at the CyberKnife Center of Miami at (800) 204-0455 or (305) 279-2900 to schedule a consultation.
If you prefer, you can also fill out our online appointment request form. We look forward to meeting with you to discuss your options in treating your cancer. www.cyberknifemiami.com