Many people see a lung cancer diagnosis as a death sentence.
That’s understandable, since lung cancer kills more than 1.3 million people a year.
But when caught early enough, lung cancer can often be successfully treated and yes, even cured.
According to the National Cancer Institute, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer that hasn’t metastasized, or spread, is slightly more than 50 percent, as compared to nearly 4 percent for lung cancer that’s already spread to other organ systems.
So pay close attention to early and sometimes surprising signs of lung cancer, like depression, frequent illness, finger pain, shortness of breath and muscle weakness.
If you are at all suspicious you may have lung cancer see your doctor immediately.
Click here to read more about surprising symptoms and what they may mean.
If it turns out you do have lung cancer, do not panic.
Chances are it can be successfully treated by CyberKnife and at the very least prolong life.
The kind of treatment you receive depends on several factors including the type of lung cancer that you have.
Treatment may be used to reduce the size of a tumor, prevent the cancer from spreading or to cure the cancer.
If the cancer cannot be cured, treatments may be used to reduce the symptoms and prolong life.
With CyberKnife, we can disrupt the growth of the tumor by eradicating it entirely.
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) is a method of delivering targeted radiation therapy to lung cancer tumors.
SBRT may be used instead of/or along with surgery. SBRT is delivered in 3 to 5 treatments sparing normal healthy tissues.
Because of CyberKnife’s sophisticated technology, we can control the radiation beams to match the exact shape of a tumor or lesion.
The beams are directed at the cancer from many different angles.
The state-of-the-art equipment is able to adjust for minor patient movements and tumor movement caused by breathing during treatment.
This precision delivery method quickly allows the cancer to receive the full dose of radiation, while the surrounding healthy tissue only receives a small percentage of radiation.
Is CyberKnife right for you? Talk with a CyberKnife expert.
At the CyberKnife Center of Miami our experienced physicians and nurses can offer you the best advice on treatment options.
For more information, please contact us at: 800-204-0455
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”
~ Dalai Lama