It’s known that smoking and tobacco use can lead to lung cancer, but did you know that lung cancer can also be hereditary, even if you’ve never smoked or used tobacco products?
According to the National Cancer Institute, inherited mutations may increase a person’s chance of developing small cell lung cancer, an aggressive form of the disease. However, patients with these mutations, alterations in a person’s genetic code, may respond better to treatment, according to a study in Science Translational Medicine from January of 2021.
A 2017 study suggests that 8% of lung cancers could be linked to a genetic predisposition. This may be especially true for younger patients, those who never smoked and women.
Familial risk of lung cancer can also be associated with similar lifestyles of family members and living in similar environments, like homes with second-hand smoke.
Race and ethnicity may also play a role. The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program, also known as SEER, suggests African Americans have a greater chance of developing lung cancer than other racial or ethnic groups.
It’s important to know your risk factors and see your doctor if you develop any symptoms associated with lung cancer including a persistent cough, coughing up blood, wheezing and unexplained weight loss.
If you are diagnosed with lung cancer, there are several treatment options including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Sometimes patients need a combination of treatments.
The experts at the CyberKnife Center of Miami can help you navigate through the treatment process, the best options and come up with a treatment plan that’s right for you.
CyberKnife Therapy for Lung Cancer
CyberKnife Miami uses state-of-the-art radiation called Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy or SBRT to treat lung cancer with precision, fewer side effects and less downtime.
In fact, lung cancer is one of the most frequently treated types of cancer at CyberKnife Miami.
“CyberKnife is the most refined way to target a tumor and minimize the dose to normal tissue,” says Dr. Mark Pomper, board-certified radiation oncologist and medical director of CyberKnife Miami on CyberKnife Miami’s YouTube Channel.
This video provided by the maker of CyberKnife details how treatment with CyberKnife works and why pin-point precision matters when it comes to treating lung cancer.
Benefits of CyberKnife for Lung Cancer
The experts at CyberKnife Miami want you to know the advantages of treating lung cancer with CyberKnife. Those benefits include:
- CyberKnife delivers high-dose radiation while continuously tracking respiratory movement so that as the patient breathes, only the tumor is targeted.
- Treatments take 30 to 60 minutes and are done on an outpatient basis.
- Most patients need three to five treatments.
- If tumors return, they can often be treated again.
- Because the radiation beams are so precise and target only the tumor site, there is also a greatly reduced risk of damage to nearby healthy tissue and vital organs, resulting in a much better quality of life while undergoing treatment and afterward.
According to the maker of CyberKnife: “It also provides excellent clinical outcomes for patients with inoperable peripheral lung tumors. Furthermore, a pooled analysis of two randomized trials indicates that lung SBRT is better tolerated and might lead to better overall survival compared to surgery for operable early-state lung cancer.”
CyberKnife can be used along with chemotherapy or on its own, depending on each patient and the treatment plan suggested. Side effects include fatigue and coughing, but they are typically minimal and resolve quickly.
Cancer Treatment Center Near Me
CyberKnife Miami treats patients from Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties as well as patients from across the country and world.
If you would like to find out more about lung cancer treatment with CyberKnife, call us now at 305-279-2900 or go to our cancer website now for more information www.cyberknifemiami.com.