What Happens On Treatment Days
If you get external radiation therapy, youâll need to get regular sessions during a period of about 5 to 8 weeks.
For each treatment, the radiation therapist will help you onto the treatment table and into the correct position. Once the therapist is sure youâre positioned well, theyâll leave the room and start the radiation treatment.
Theyâll watch you closely during the treatment. Cameras and an intercom are in the treatment room, so the therapist can always see and hear you. Try to stay still and relaxed during treatment. Let the therapist know if you have any problems or you feel uncomfortable.
Theyâll be in and out of the room to reposition the machine and change your position. The treatment machine wonât touch you, and youâll feel nothing during the treatment. Once the treatment is done, the therapist will help you off the treatment table.
The radiation therapist will take a port film, also known as an X-ray, on the first day of treatment and about every week thereafter. Port films verify that youâre being positioned accurately during your treatments.
Port films donât provide diagnostic information, so radiation therapists canât learn about your progress from them. But these films do help the therapists make sure theyâre delivering radiation to the precise area that needs treatment.
Q: How Does Cyberknife Robotic Radiosurgery Differ From Robotic Prostatectomy Surgery And Radiation
CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery is not robot-assisted surgery it is simply another form of prostate cancer radiation such as external beam radiation therapy or brachytherapy. CyberKnife® is FDA-approved radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer, though the procedure is very new.
During robotic prostatectomy surgery, Dr. Samadi uses real-time, first-hand visualization to assess the prostate cancer scope and remove the tumor. This proven, minimally invasive procedure integrates the precision and visualization of robot-assisted surgery with the expertise of Dr. Samadis vast surgical background. With appropriate follow-up and post-surgery care, PSA level should drop to an undetectable level after robotic prostatectomy surgery.
Radiation such as CyberKnife® can be an effective secondary measure for men with high-risk, recurring prostate cancer.
Follow Dr. David Samadis appearance on Fox News for a detailed explanation of the differences between CyberKnife®, Robotic Prostatectomy and Radiaton.
The negative side effects of CyberKnife® can be expected to mirror those of other targeted radiation therapies.
Over the short term, radiation therapy for prostate cancer can cause:
- Urination problems including burning and blood in the urine
- Urinary urgency and frequency
Long-term CyberKnife® and prostate cancer radiation side effects may include:
How Effective Is The Cyberknife And What Are The Possible Side
Several clinical studies have shown that CyberKnife is as effective as standard radiotherapy. CyberKnife is one of the recommended treatment options for the treatment of localised prostate cancer by the American Society of Radiation Oncology . Read the results of a study in full.
Possible side effects during treatment
Mild to moderate urinary problems and mild fatigue for 12 months about 1% of patients need catheterization for urinary retention resume normal activity immediately after treatment.
Possible long-term side effects
Despite receiving high doses of radiation, long-term urinary effects are not common and rectal injury is rare 2030% patients develop erectile dysfunction.
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What Are The Advantages Of The Cyberknife Prostate Treatment
It is all about precision. Delivered by its uniquely designed robotic arm, the CyberKnife System is able to continually track tumor movement throughout each treatment. Because of this, we can protect healthy tissue while ensuring that the prostate tumor receives adequate treatment.
One of the major difficulties in traditional cancer treatment is the ability to adjust for involuntary and unpredictable organ and tumor movement inside of the body. Throughout the course of treatment, the prostate gland will adjust its position as much as 5 mm in as little as 30 seconds. These movements occur due to filling of the bladder, gas in the bowel, and patient movement during the procedure. Even a small change can greatly affect radiation delivery.
Without the CyberKnife System, traditional treatment has been invasive surgery or broad-spectrum radiation treatment. Instead of operating or targeting general regions with large doses of radiation, we are able to use pin-point accuracy within the thickness of a dime.
Everything To Know About Cyberknife Radiation Therapy
by CyberKnife Miami | Aug 4, 2022 | CyberKnife Center of Miami, CyberKnife to Treat Cancer, CyberKnife Treatment, Radiation Therapy
The experts at the CyberKnife Center of Miami a state-of-the-art cancer treatment center that uses radiation to treat cancer are committed to providing patients with the best treatment, care, and access to information. So, we wanted to answer your most frequently asked questions about CyberKnife therapy starting with the
Five Ws: Who, What, When, Where, How, and of course Why!
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Cyberknife For Prostate Cancer
CyberKnife® is a noninvasive way to treat prostate cancer in five treatments or less.
The CyberKnife® System is a robotic system designed to deliver high-precision radiation therapy to the prostate. Unlike other radiation treatments, the CyberKnife® System continually tracks and automatically corrects the radiation beam for movement of the prostate in real time. This motion tracking and adjustment enhances the doctors ability to target the tumor and preserve healthy tissue.
In most cases, radiosurgery with the CyberKnife® System for prostate cancer does not require a catheter. Traditional prostate cancer surgery requires the use of a catheter for help with urination, for up to 2 weeks post-procedure.
Possible Risks And Side Effects Of Brachytherapy
Radiation precautions: If you get permanent brachytherapy, the seeds will give off small amounts of radiation for several weeks or months. Even though the radiation doesnt travel far, your doctor may advise you to stay away from pregnant women and small children during this time. If you plan on traveling, you might want to get a doctors note regarding your treatment, as low levels of radiation can sometimes be picked up by detection systems at airports.
There’s also a small risk that some of the seeds might move . You may be asked to strain your urine for the first week or so to catch any seeds that might come out. You may be asked to take other precautions as well, such as wearing a condom during sex. Be sure to follow any instructions your doctor gives you. There have also been reports of the seeds moving through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, such as the lungs. As far as doctors can tell, this is uncommon and doesnt seem to cause any ill effects.
These precautions arent needed after HDR brachytherapy, because the radiation doesnt stay in the body after treatment.
Bowel problems: Brachytherapy can sometimes irritate the rectum and cause a condition called radiation proctitis. Bowel problems such as rectal pain, burning, and/or diarrhea can occur, but serious long-term problems are uncommon.
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An Effective Less Disruptive Treatment Option
The CyberKnife® System CyberKnife uses an approach called stereotactic body radiation therapy , delivering precise doses of radiation with extreme accuracy and accounting for target motion in real-time. To achieve this level of accuracy and precision, the CyberKnife uses an image-guided linear accelerator mounted to a robotic arm that was specifically designed to deliver SBRT, combined with industry-exclusive motion synchronization technology that automatically synchronizes the radiation beam with tumor movement in real-time throughout treatment. This enables the CyberKnife System to maintain sub-millimeter accuracy, which can significantly reduce the risk of the side effects that too often disrupt the lives of men during and after treatment.
NON-SURGICAL
Treatment with the CyberKnife System is a non-surgical, outpatient procedure that does not require incisions or general anesthesia. Most patients will not require hospitalization or a long recovery period. Additionally, CyberKnife treatments are non-invasive and avoid the inconvenience and risk associated with radioactive seed or catheter implants.
FEWER CLINIC VISITS
CyberKnife treatment can be completed in as little as 4-5 sessions over 1-2 weeks, compared to 30-40 sessions over 8-10 weeks with conventional radiation therapy.
REDUCED INCIDENCE OF SIDE EFFECTS
A faster return to everyday life
Your CyberKnife treatment process
INITIAL CONSULTATION
YOUR TEAM
- Medical Support Staff
PREPARING FOR TREATMENT
TREATMENT PLAN
Treatment Options For Urinary Incontinence Can Include:
- Pelvic floor physical therapy. These specialized physical therapists are trained to help men strengthen their pelvic floor muscles. These muscles help you control the flow of urine. The exercises are called Kegel exercises just as you might do bicep curls to strengthen your arm muscles Kegel exercises help you learn to tighten and relax the muscles that control your flow.
- Bladder training. The bladder is a muscular organ that can be trained. A pelvic floor physical therapist or your urologist will provide simple behavioral changes to help retrain your bladder.
- Medication. Prescription medicines help the muscles in your bladder and sphincter . These medications work well for men with urge incontinence.
- Surgery. Surgery may be scheduled if you have a blockage. Other surgical procedures include injecting collagen to strengthen the urinary sphincter that controls urine release or implanting an artificial urinary sphincter.
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Are There Any Surgical Techniques That Have Been Developed To Improve Erectile Function Outcomes
At this time, there are several different surgical approaches to carry out the surgery, including retropubic or perineal approaches as well as laparoscopic procedures with freehand or robotic instrumentation. Much debate but no consensus exists about the advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches. Further study is needed before obtaining meaningful determinations of the success with different new approaches.
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Getting Proton Therapy Covered By Insurance
The New York Proton Center accepts both Medicare & Medicaid and is currently in-network with many commercial insurers. We are committed to working with ALL insurance companies to help patients secure approval. We will provide your insurer with supporting clinical evidence about your case. We will work with you to complete all the paperwork, explain to your insurance company the reasoning behind your treatment plan and assist you throughout the process.Please contact us so we can discuss your particular situation and provide support to help you secure coverage.
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Advantages Of Cyberknife For Prostate Cancer
- With CyberKnife® radiosurgery for prostate cancer, the majority of patients can continue normal activity during and immediately following treatment. With traditional prostate cancer surgery, patients must limit normal activity for 3-5 weeks.
- In a recent clinical study of patients treated with CyberKnife® radiosurgery for prostate cancer, the majority of these patients maintained sexual function.
- Patients treated with the CyberKnife® System for prostate cancer reported a return to normal urinary and bowel function by 6 months post-procedure.1
- Prostate cancer treatment with the CyberKnife® System is completed in 4-5 treatment sessions, over the course of a week. Conventional radiation therapy typically requires 30-40 treatment sessions, over the course of several weeks.
- The CyberKnife® System delivers the required radiation dose to the prostate with pinpoint precision, thereby minimizing the radiation that is delivered to the bowel and urinary tract.
This video is used with permission from Accuray Incorporated.
King et al. International Journal of Radiation Oncology.2013. Health-Related Quality of Life After Sterotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Localized Prostate Cancer: Results from a Multi-institutional Consortium of Prospective Trials
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“It was once a week for five weeks and then it was done total recovery”
David
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“Cyberknife is very non-intrusive, it allows you to go on with your everyday life.”
Joe
Risks Of Prostate Surgery
The risks with any type of radical prostatectomy are much like those of any major surgery. Problems during or shortly after the operation can include:
- Reactions to anesthesia
- Blood clots in the legs or lungs
- Damage to nearby organs
- Infections at the surgery site.
Rarely, part of the intestine might be injured during surgery, which could lead to infections in the abdomen and might require more surgery to fix. Injuries to the intestines are more common with laparoscopic and robotic surgeries than with the open approach.
If lymph nodes are removed, a collection of lymph fluid can form and may need to be drained.
In extremely rare cases, a man can die because of complications of this operation. Your risk depends, in part, on your overall health, your age, and the skill of your surgical team.
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Who Is A Candidate For Cyberknife
CyberKnife can be used as a first-line treatment for early-stage prostate cancer. It can be combined with hormone therapy for cancer that has spread into nearby tissues. It can also be used to slow progression in advanced cancer or cancer that has recurred after previous treatment.
Prostate cancer treatment is not the same for everyone. Surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy are designed to do different things.
There are a few benefits of CyberKnife when compared to other treatments:
- Theres no incision or pain, as you might have from surgery.
- Theres no need for anesthesia or a hospital stay.
- As soon as its over, you can get up and return to your normal activities.
- Its a lot less time-consuming than conventional radiation or chemotherapy.
- Theres no extended recovery period.
Another type of radiation used for prostate surgery is brachytherapy. It involves implanting radioactive pellets in your prostate. The pellets release radiation over a period of days or weeks. Its a good option for early-stage or low-grade prostate cancer. CyberKnife may be a better choice if you cant have anesthesia or if your anatomy makes brachytherapy difficult.
If you have treatment with CyberKnife, you may need other therapies as well. Your doctor will make a recommendation based on variables such as the stage and grade of the cancer, as well as your age and any other health conditions you may have.
The Importance Of Prostate Massage
Prostate massage is a treatment that addresses the root cause of most prostate issues. Treatments like surgery and medications only provide temporary relief by treating the symptoms and not the cause.
> > > Prostate Massage for Optimal Prostate Health
On the other hand, regular prostate massages encourage the gland to work without problems. A man will not be subjected to dangerous side effects from medication or complications from surgery. Massage also helps make the prostate stronger and more resistant from disease and infection.
Advantages Of Prostate Massage
Although regular prostate massage can help to eliminate or reduce the severity of any symptoms a man may have, it can also offer other benefits especially with improved sexual enjoyment and function.
It is a fact that modern medicine has not been able to determine the causes and treatments for many conditions related to the prostate. Even though prevention is the best medicine, prostate massage will help improve your prostateâs health and prevent existing conditions from becoming worse.
However, in the case of bacterial prostatitis, left untreated, can cause intense inflammation and increased bacterial growth.
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What Is Involved In Cyberknife Treatment
CyberKnife® Machine
You will see a urologist a week or two before treatment. This doctor will place gold markers, known as “fiducials”, in your prostate as a way of marking the target. This is done under ultrasound guidance, similar to the procedure for prostate biopsy. The tumor position will be tracked during the Cyberknife treatment using the fiducials.
After the gold markers have been placed, a CT simulation is performed. During this CT scan, you will be positioned in the same way you will be positioned during the actual treatments. The physician uses this scan to outline the treatment area and organs or tissues to be avoided. This information is used to create the treatment plan.
The number of treatments and the amount of radiation per fraction can vary. Each fraction is a higher radiation dose than is used with traditional radiation, but fewer fractions are given. Typically, treatments include:
- Four or five fractions .
- Treatment is given over 1-2 weeks.
- The total dose in the mid to high 30 Gray range.
- Each treatment session is 30 to 90 minutes .
While you are being treated, the machine takes pictures of the tumor, which are compared in real-time to the images from the CT simulation. The CyberKnife robot moves around you to deliver precise treatment that can be adjusted as the prostate moves when you breathe.
The Initial Causes Long Term Side Effects Of Cyberknife For Prostate Cancer
One of the first symptoms of prostate issues is pain or tenderness in the groin or lower back. This can be the result of a noncancerous condition called enlarged prostatic tissue, or it could be an infection of the bladder. In either case, its important to see a doctor as soon as possible. If youre suffering from prostate pain, you may want to consider reducing your caffeine intake.
Another symptom of a potentially enlarged prostate is difficulty starting a stream of urine, leaking, or dribbling. These symptoms are not serious, but theyre still alarming. Most men put up with an enlarged prostate for years before seeking medical attention, but they typically seek treatment as soon as they notice symptoms. Even if you dont have symptoms, its worth getting checked to determine if you have any prostate issues.
If you experience nightly bathroom runs, you may be experiencing an enlarged prostate. You may be having difficulty starting a stream of urine, or you may even be dribbling or leaking during the day. These problems arent life-threatening, but can become a nuisance. You should not ignore these signs and seek treatment as soon as you notice them. If you feel any of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor.
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Frequent Urination Burning With Urination And Difficulty Urinating
These are the most common complaints. Occasionally the urinary stream will weaken. Generally these symptoms are managed with medications to help the bladder function better or eliminate burning. Rarely, your doctor may order a urine test. Symptoms will resolve after the end of treatment. Contact your doctor if you see blood in your urine or if you are unable to urinate.