Medical treatments and therapies can be confusing, especially when you have a scary diagnosis like brain or spine cancer. Fortunately, breakthroughs in technology are making it easier than ever to treat even the most complex conditions.
At Brain and Spine Institute of New York and New Jersey, Dr. Arien Smith offers the most advanced therapies available for treating both adult and pediatric brain and spinal disorders, including CyberKnife® radiosurgery. If you have a tumor, here’s what you need to know about radiosurgery and whether it’s right for you.
You can breathe easy knowing that even though this therapy uses words like “knife” and “surgery,” it’s completely painless, it requires no incisions or anesthesia, and you can return to regular activity after your treatment. This breakthrough procedure uses powerful beams of radiation to destroy abnormal tissue.
During radiosurgery with the CyberKnife System, a robot delivers high-energy X-rays to the treatment area in your body. These photons of energy are the same type used in traditional radiation treatments. However, CyberKnife can deliver more controlled doses with greater precision.
How? The robot arm can move and bend around the person receiving treatment, giving it the ability to treat tumors from thousands of unique angles in more concentrated ways.
On top of that, CyberKnife uses real-time image guidance to ensure that the radiation always stays on target. That means the robot can accommodate even the slightest movement, when the patient coughs or breathes or if the tumor itself moves during treatment.
As you can imagine, CyberKnife provides numerous advantages, such as:
CyberKnife radiosurgery also offers a safe and effective treatment option for tumors and conditions that aren’t good candidates for traditional radiation, especially those involving the brain and spinal cord. Radiosurgery also provides a treatment alternative for people who can’t undergo or wish to avoid surgery.
The flexibility and advanced technology that comes with the CyberKnife System allows it to treat tumors and lesions all over the body, especially those in hard-to-reach locations. As with any treatment, Dr. Smith evaluates each person in his care on a case-by-case basis to determine the best course of action.
Radiosurgery is highly effective at treating most cancers in the head and neck, brain, and spine — including benign (noncancerous) and slow- or fast-growing tumors — whether in the nerves, bones, or other tissues.
Are you curious to learn more about CyberKnife radiosurgery? Call Brain and Spine Institute of New York and New Jersey office nearest you to schedule a consultation with Dr. Smith today.
