>>Is CyberKnife Ready for Prime Time in Prostate Cancer?
This morning’s Washington Post tells the tale of prostate cancer and CyberKnife, a $4 million machine designed to deliver high-dose, targeted radiation to kill tumors. Some hospitals that initially used the machine for brain and spinal tumors difficult to treat any other way are now using it to treat prostate cancer, which can be well treated by more conventional methods.
“This is really pushing the envelope,” Anthony Zietman, president-elect of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) told the Post. “It might be as good and more convenient. It may be better and more convenient. But it could turn out to be a disaster. No one knows.”
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comments section:
I am a PhD physicist who worked with radiation effects for more than two decades. When diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer over a year ago, I rejected most radiation treatments based on that experience. After investigating the CyberKnife, it was a “no brainer” for me. The objections that I uncovered all appeared motivated by either uninformed fear or economic motivation. Follow-up after CyberKnife treatment has confirmed the efficacy of my decision. Comment by - November 29, 2008 at 2:19 pm
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Prostate Cancer is a hihgly curale treatment if ofund early Seed implantation, surgery and external beam radiaton are tries and true treatments with thousands of patients treated and long term results known. The cyberknife has no proven track record and patients should be extremely cautious about the enthusiatic claims made by the owners of these machines. For example we are just learning now about the detrimental effects long term on patients who have external beam radiation The Cyberknife may be worse