Lung Cancer – CyberKnife Treatment

Radiation therapy is a common treatment for lung cancer patients with all types of tumors in all stages. Your Phoenix cancer specialists are skilled at using a variety of radiation treatments, but one of the most effective for lung cancer, especially in its earlier stages, is the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System.

CyberKnife is a stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) that uses high doses of radiation targeted at your exact tumor’s location to kill the cancerous cells. By combining its flexible, robotic arm and its highly sophisticated imaging system, CyberKnife can reach your tumor from many angles and track even the slightest movement ensuring the best possible outcomes.

How Does CyberKnife Work?

Tumors in the lungs can be one of the most challenging types of cancer to fight because the tumor moves slightly during normal breathing. The CyberKnife system meets this challenge with the ability to track that movement using its high-tech imaging system and robotic arm. The flexible arm is able to move around you at hundreds of different angles to obtain the best position to attack your tumor with high doses of radiation. At the same time, the imaging system is watching your tumor and sending adjustments to the robotic arm, real-time, as you breathe to maintain direct contact with the tumor. This precision reduces negative impact to any surrounding tissue or organs and insures maximum exposure to the cancerous cells.

In some studies, this advanced stereotactic radiosurgery system was shown to be even more effective than surgery for early stage cancers. It is the most precise radiation treatment available and it provides treatment without invasive surgery, within a week’s time and with minimal side effects. Our Phoenix radiation oncology experts can work closely with your medical team to use the CyberKnife system for stand alone treatment as well as for treatment that complements other options including surgery and/or chemotherapy.

CyberKnife Treatment Process for Lung Cancer

The non-surgical CyberKnife treatment is given at our comfortable Palo Verde Cancer Specialists’s treatment centers located in the Phoenix and Scottsdale areas. You will be welcomed to our offices for treatment planning, treatment sessions, and post-treatment follow-up appointments.

• The first step is for our skilled radiation oncologists to meet with your team of doctors which may also include an oncologist, a pulmonologist, a thoracic surgeon, a medical physicist, and medical support staff.
• You will be asked to visit the office for an examination of existing tests and data so that doctors can find out the exact location and size of your lung tumor and determine its specific characteristics and treatment needs.
• We will work with you to determine the best possible treatment plan for your individual lung cancer case.
• Some lung tumors need special markers place on your tumor that show up in the imaging process to help CyberKnife pinpoint the tumor’s exact location. If so, these fiducials will be implanted during a short outpatient visit to our office about a week before your first treatment.
• For lung tumors, patients are fitted with a special body cradle to help make you more comfortable and help keep your body position the same for each treatment. You will also be fitted with a vest that helps the robotic system track the movement of your tumor as your chest moves when you breath.
• Before your first treatment, you will have a CT scan while lying in the cradle to find out the exact size, shape and location of the tumor. Other scans might be conducted to help see the tumor and any tissues or organs nearby.
• Radiation specialists will then program your treatment plan into the CyberKnife System including the dose, the area targeted and pointing out any nearby critical organs or tissue, and schedule a visit for you to our most convenient outpatient facilities in Phoenix, Scottsdale or Glendale.
• When you arrive for treatment, you will be asked to relax on our comfortable treatment couch, listening to your favorite music, if you like, while CyberKnife’s computer-controlled robotic arm moves around you delivering high doses of radiation from multiple angles and tracking the tumor’s subtle movements to maximize precision and accuracy.
• The CyberKnife will deliver high doses of pain-free radiation with extreme precision and without any stabilizing, uncomfortable hardware or frames.
• Unlike traditional radiation treatment types which can last for weeks, CyberKnife treatment is completed in three to five sessions, one short treatment per day, over the course of a week.
• Once your treatment is complete each day, you are free to leave our Phoenix area offices and resume your daily activities and tasks as you normally would.
• Follow-up appointments will then be arranged to make sure that the radiation has produced the desired effect in eliminating cancer cells.

Find Out More About Palo Verde and CyberKnife for Lung Cancer

You owe it to yourself to seek out all of the options available for the optimum treatment for your lung cancer. Give our radiation experts a call today at one of our convenient Phoenix area locations and find out just how effective CyberKnife is at treating lung cancer. Your first phone consultation is always free. You can also use our convenient online appointment forms to schedule your first visit. We welcome the chance to visit with you about your specific situation and discuss treatment options with you. Call us today!