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CyberKnife® Opens at LGMC - Tumors Considered Inoperable Now Within Reach - 04/25/2007 -
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Lafayette General Medical Center announced the opening of its newly created CyberKnife Center, providing the innovative CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System. This is only the second CyberKnife in Louisiana, and one of about 85 in the United States.
The technology behind the CyberKnife sounds like something from the future: an image-guided, computer-controlled robot can move in almost any direction to target intense beams of radiation at tumors previously considered inoperable. The system is so precise because it uses advanced software and x-ray cameras to continuously track and target the tumor’s position. Though this treatment is called radiosurgery, there is no incision, no pain, no anesthesia and no recovery time. What’s more, CyberKnife treatment is complete in one to five days, as compared to other radiation therapy systems that can take 30 - 45 days.
“This System is generally more effective than any other form of radiation therapy, and is more flexible and patient-friendly than previous stereotactic radiosurgery systems that rely on a head frame, such as the Gamma Knife®,” said Dr. Alan Appley, neurosurgeon and co-medical director of the CyberKnife Center.
“CyberKnife is so accurate because the system can reaffirm the patient’s position before every radiation beam is delivered during treatment,” Appley continued. “It even has the ability to synchronize the radiation beams with a patient’s respiration—as the tumor moves, so does the robot. Now, tumors in the lung, liver and pancreas can be treated with radiosurgery. This technology is a profound breakthrough for the patient who believed his or her tumor could not be removed.”
The CyberKnife utilizes a linear accelerator to generate radiation beams that can strike the tumor from over 1200 angles. The tumor is hit from multiple angles many times, so that the cumulative radiation dose is much more intense than standard radiation therapy or IMRT—killing the tumor cells and stopping the growth of active tissue. With surgical-like precision, the radiation beams can conform to complex-shaped tumors while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
“We believe the CyberKnife System is the ideal radiosurgical tool given its flexibility and greater range of potential clinical applications,” commented James Thaw, president and CEO of Lafayette General Medical Center. “The CyberKnife System secures our standing as the premier hospital offering comprehensive surgical and oncology services. We are confident that our patients will benefit greatly from the CyberKnife System in the months and years ahead.”
At the CyberKnife Center Louisiana, there is a new ‘ray’ to fight cancer. The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System is the only one of its kind, and the only one located between New Orleans and Dallas. This new approach to fighting cancer treats tumors—and certain other lesions and vascular malformations—anywhere in the body.
For more information, visit www.cyberknifela.com. |
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