Apr 8 2014
Columbus CyberKnife, a service of Mount Carmel St. Ann's Hospital, recently completed a major upgrade of its cancer treatment technology to the next-generation CyberKnife® 10.0 system.
CyberKnife(R) is a robotic technology that treats tumors with high-dose radiation in five or fewer procedures.(PRNewsFoto/Columbus CyberKnife)
CyberKnife is a robotic technology that performs stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), a nonsurgical method of treating tumors with high-dose radiation in five or fewer procedures. The capabilities of Columbus CyberKnife's more advanced technology allow for greater accuracy, quicker treatment times for patients and better avoidance of healthy tissue during treatment.
"As the first and only CyberKnife treatment provider in Columbus, our goal is to stay on the leading edge of cancer care," said Dr. Douglas Widman, medical director at Columbus CyberKnife. "Installment of the CyberKnife 10.0 is part of our commitment to ensure patients are treated with the most advanced technology available."
In addition to increased efficiency, the CyberKnife 10.0 system features Lung Optimization Treatment (LOT), which allows lung cancer patients with conditions like emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to undergo CyberKnife treatment without the use of fiducials – small metal markers – that are sometimes used to target the location of lung tumors during treatment.
Lung cancer patients already suffering from chronic lung disease may not be able to undergo the fiducial implantation process without increased risk of a collapsed lung. The new CyberKnife technology featuring LOT reduces the need for placing fiducials in some higher-risk lung tumor patients by using cameras and medical imaging to determine the tumor location in real time and ensure the CyberKnife remains locked on target.
"LOT is an advancement that opens CyberKnife treatment to more lung cancer patients who may not have previously been candidates due to other health issues," explains Dr. Widman. "In some cases, patients with chronic pulmonary disease diagnosed with lung cancer have few treatment alternatives."
Columbus CyberKnife has treated more than 900 patients since opening in partnership with Mount Carmel in 2010. Lung and brain tumors are frequently treated diseases, as well as prostate cancer.
Columbus CyberKnife is located at 495 Cooper Road, Suite 125 in Westerville, Ohio. For more information, call (614) 898-8300 or visit www.ColumbusCK.com.