“It’s scary when you find out you have cancer, especially lung cancer, but it’s not a death sentence anymore. It doesn’t mean you’re going to die. I was treated for lung cancer in February 2005 at the CyberKnife Center of Miami and I’m still cancer free.”
Mike Sluder was 50-years-old when, during a routine medical exam, a chest x-ray discovered a tumor in his right lung that turned out to be cancer.
“I was freaking out. My heart skipped a beat every time I thought about it.”
Mike’s doctor recommended chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumor, but as luck would have it, his wife, Sharin saw a TV commercial about CyberKnife, a non-invasive alternative to surgery for cancer and kept it in the back of their minds while researching Mike’s options.
Mike says, “When we heard that TV ad the second time around, we immediately called the CyberKnife Center of Miami. They saw me right away, said we can help you and set up my treatment plan. In the meantime, we went to their website and read everything, including research which showed CyberKnife was very successful at treating lung cancer. I’m just glad CyberKnife was around back then.”
“I had three, one hour treatments in three weeks. It was even easier than I imagined. I laid on the CyberKnife table, listened to music, relaxed and nearly fell asleep while the CyberKnife moved all around me.”“That machine is amazing. Every time I took a breath it moved with my breath. That was pretty cool. At one point, I opened my eyes during treatment and the machine was very close to me, I jumped and the machine jumped back. It’s almost like its alive, following your every move.” (Mike laughs)
Lung cancer is a frequently treated disease at the CyberKnife Center of Miami.
CyberKnife Radiosurgery, also known as Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy or SBRT, is becoming the number one treatment choice of lung cancer patients.
Dr. Mark Pomper, CyberKnife Miami’s Medical Director and Board Certified Radiation Oncologist says, “The benefits of this non-invasive treatment are numerous and often far outweigh other options. It’s the only technology that can continually track the tumor as the patient breathes, so radiation focuses only the tumor, sparing healthy lung tissue from being damaged. The CyberKnife also delivers much higher doses and is a more precise radiation treatment than conventional radiation, destroying tumors with little chance of it returning. If a tumor does come back, often we can treat it again.”
CyberKnife Radiosurgery is usually done on patients who are unwilling or unable to undergo open surgery and may be used instead of, or along with, surgery and chemotherapy.
Mike says, “I’d choose CyberKnife all over again. It was completely pain free and I had no side effects. I went back to work after each treatment. Everybody at CyberKnife Miami was so kind and helpful. They’re excellent at explaining everything and making you feel at ease. My whole family was pleased too and that’s important because when you have cancer it affects the entire family.”
“When I was first diagnosed, 13 years ago, my doctor said we really don’t know much about CyberKnife, do you really want to take that chance? I said yes I do. My wife was my rock through it all. She too insisted on trying CyberKnife. We’re glad it was around back then.”
“I changed my doctor’s mind about CyberKnife. I went back to him for follow up visits every three months and we saw the tumor dissolve, until all I had left was some scar tissue. Now my doctor uses me as an example and tells other patients, this lung cancer patient denied surgery, had CyberKnife and is still alive.”
“I quit smoking when I found out I had lung cancer. I feel like I’ve been given a second chance at life. I’m lucky I found out about CyberKnife and tell everyone about it. Many people are stunned and never heard of CyberKnife.”
“I also tell everyone, don’t wait, if something doesn’t feel right, get it checked out. Many people wait too long, especially guys.”
“If you do find something wrong, don’t panic. Research all your options. Don’t just do what your doctor tells you to do right away. Take your time making your decision until you find what’s right for you.”
“At 63, I’ve lived longer than I thought I would. If something else pops up, I’ll fight it too. I have a positive attitude and great support from family and friends.”
Find out if you’re a candidate for CyberKnife – call our Cancer Specialists at 305-279-7900 and go to our website now www.cyberknifecenterofmiami.com
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#LungCancerTreatment Cyberknife Center of Miami – The Beam Of Life