Cyberknife of Long Island

Cyberknife of Long Island Celebrates its Two-Year Anniversary

2011-09-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

(Huntington, NY) – Cyberknife of Long Island is entering its third year treating patients with the most sophisticated cancer treatment available. North Shore Radiation Therapy installed the Cyberknife Radiosurgery System in 2009 and continues to expand the cancer treatment services available to Suffolk County residents. “The last two years have enabled us to offer expanded treatment options to the community” said Jeffrey Musmacher, Chief Operating Officer at Cyberknife of Long Island “With the advanced tools we offer right here in Suffolk County, patients are no longer traveling to New York City or forced to navigate through hospital networks for treatment”.

Program Highlights:

• More than 300 patients have been treated in 2 years which is more than double the first year in operation.
• The center has delivered over 1,300 Cyberknife Radiosurgery treatments.
• Diseases most often treated in the last year include: prostate cancer; brain tumors; lung cancers and tumors of the spine. Prostate and brain lesions represent the largest number, with 60% of treatments falling into this category.
• Thoracic surgeons have been successfully treating patients using a process that allows for rapid referral to the center. These patients are quickly identified, diagnosed and preparations made for quick treatment thereby reducing the sometimes lengthy process that follows diagnosis of lung cancer.
• Neurosurgeons are referring patients with both malignant and benign brain tumors for treatment that is sometimes completed in one visit, with no cutting, no anesthesia, and no recovery time without the use of a head frame typical of other devices such as the Gamma Knife.

"We are very pleased with the results we have seen during the last 24 months and our team of experts is constantly looking to improve our Cyberknife program and continually advance cancer treatment within the community” said Dr. Richard Byrnes, Medical Director of CyberKnife of Long Island.
“Previously patients with early stage lung cancer would need surgery” said Dr. Heather Zinkin, Radiation Oncologist at Cyberknife of Long Island. “We now have the option of giving extremely precise doses of radiation that is directed only to the lung tumor with results that are equivalent and without the need for anesthesia or hospitalization”.
CyberKnife is the world's only robotic radiosurgery system - a linear accelerator attached to a highly maneuverable robotic arm - and offers painless cancer treatment virtually anywhere in the human body. CyberKnife treats cancerous and benign tumors in the brain, spine, lung, liver, pancreas and prostate through a process called stereotactic radiosurgery, a noninvasive method of treating tumors with high-dose radiation precisely aimed from different angles. The result is greatly increased accuracy that spares healthy tissue.

Since 1988, North Shore Radiation Therapy has provided premier radiation therapy services in New York. The center offers Cyberknife Radiosurgery, 3-D Conformal Radiation Therapy, IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy), IGRT (Image Guided Radiation Therapy), Rapid Arc, Partial Breast, Skin and Gynecological Brachytherapy. North Shore Radiation Therapy is the most experienced in all modalities of prostate cancer radiation therapy including radiosurgery and IGRT in Suffolk County. The centers are staffed by board certified physicians and highly trained clinicians with expertise in utilizing the most advanced radiation therapy technology. Located in Huntington and Smithtown, New York the centers are open Monday through Friday and accept all insurance plans. Appointments can be made by calling (877) 542-9237. You can visit the website at www.cyberknifeoflongisland.com or www.cancer-radiation.com.

Higher doses of radiation in fewer treatments proved safe, effective for low-risk prostate cancer

2011-06-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

Higher doses of radiation in fewer treatments proved safe, effective for low-risk prostate cancer

Lung Cancer Treatment with Cyberknife Radiosurgery

2011-05-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

Cyberknife of Long Island Prostate Cancer Treatment

2011-04-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

What Does it Cost to Treat Prostate Cancer?

2011-04-25T13:52:00.001-07:00

What are the true costs to treat prostate cancer? What about Cyberknife? Surgery? IMRT? Proton Beam?

Many people do not know how much it costs to treat this curable disease.

Did you know that Cyberknife is one of the least costly? The outcomes are excellent and the treatment is quick and painless without many adverse side effects.

Below is an excerpt from an article just published from the website "Value Based Cancer Care"

Although the cost of CyberKnife to treat prostate cancer is initially higher than surgery—an equally effective therapy—patients experience a better quality of life with CyberKnife than with other treatment modalities and have lower lifetime costs compared with radiation and proton therapies.

Total lifetime costs from a payer perspective were:

$25,904 for CyberKnife
$22,295 for surgery
$38,915 for IMRT
$58,100 for proton therapy

Read more about the costs of treatment here.

If you have any questions or want more information, go to our website at www.cyberknifeofli.com or call us at 1-877-LI-CYBER.

Why Cyberknife for Cancer?

2011-04-25T06:11:00.000-07:00

The treatment has a high success rate and generally lasts under an hour. Other systems, such as the Gamma Knife, treat only the brain and require that the patient be fitted with a rigid frame screwed into the skull. The Cyberknife uses a frameless system, and can treat tumors throughout the body with a accuracy of less than 0.5 millimeters. This treatment can also successfully treat lung cancers and other cancers that are in areas that move involuntarily - like in the respiratory or digestive system. These treatments are out-patient procedures, ranging from five to as little as one visit, allowing patients to continue their normal activities.

How does Cyberknife work? How do we treat prostate cancer? How does it compare to IMRT?

2011-04-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to a great interview that explains radiation therapy and how the Cyberknife works. The discussion talks more specifically about prostate cancer, but lung and brain cancers as well. There is some comparison between standard IMRT and IGRT and the Cyberknife System's Stereotactic Radiosurgery and recent advancements. If you or someone you love is looking for a treatment - it's very important to listen to this interview!

http://chirb.it/gnwDh2

Self Referral in Radiation Oncology

2011-03-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

A great quick podcast on Self-Referral in Radiology and Radiation Oncology/Radiation Therapy.

Radiation Therapy Self Referral Podcast

Check it out - you will be glad you did.

Jeff

Five Year Outcome Data Published for Prostate Radiosurgery Using the Cyberknife

2011-01-17T08:01:00.000-08:00

Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, announced today the first published five-year outcomes on low risk prostate cancer patients treated with the CyberKnife(R) Robotic Radiosurgery System. The multi-center study, published in the January 10, 2011 issue of Radiation Oncology, found that 93 percent of patients had no recurrence of their cancer at a median follow-up of five years, a rate that compares favorably to results obtained with other treatment modalities, including surgery and conventional radiation therapy.

The study, "Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Low-Risk Prostate Cancer: Five-Year Outcomes," combined data from 41 patients treated at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif. and Naples Community Hospital in Naples, Fla. with a median follow-up of five years. The paper represents the longest published study to date on the use of CyberKnife radiosurgery, also referred to as stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), as a treatment approach for clinically localized, low-risk prostate cancer. In addition to demonstrating high five-year disease-free survival rates, the study also found generally low levels of urinary and rectal toxicity following the five-day course of treatment, concluding that CyberKnife radiosurgery can achieve high rates of disease control while sparing critical structures, thereby minimizing undesirable side effects typically associated with prostate cancer treatments and preserving patients' quality of life.

"As a non-invasive treatment option completed in just five visits, stereotactic radiotherapy with the CyberKnife System offers patients the benefits of more rapid recovery, reduced travel costs and less time off work, allowing them to return to their normal, daily routines almost immediately as compared with the standard nine-week course of radiotherapy," said Christopher King, M.D., an author on the study who is now an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology and Urology at the UCLA School of Medicine. "In addition, because CyberKnife radiosurgery costs less than conventional radiation and avoids the anesthesia and hospital stay associated with surgery, our national health care system benefits from reduced health care costs."

The past 12 months have seen the publication and presentation of numerous shorter term CyberKnife prostate radiosurgery experiences demonstrating encouraging outcomes. This paper supports these outcomes within a long-term follow-up study. Additional this month, the Accuray sponsored multi-center homogeneous prostate study for low and intermediate risk patients, led by the team at the Swedish Cancer Center in Seattle, accrued the final of 294 patients, providing a broad foundation for future long-term multi-center results.

"The publication of five-year clinical outcomes represents a significant milestone for CyberKnife radiosurgery and is important news for physicians to consider when determining the best course of treatment for prostate cancer patients," said Euan S. Thomson, Ph.D., president and CEO of Accuray. "We look forward to this study and other multi-center studies providing additional long-term quality support of CyberKnife prostate radiosurgery outcomes."

New York Times Article on Stereotactic Radiosurgery 12/28/2010

2010-12-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

Another article in the New York Times was published on December 28th, detailed the stories cancer patients who were harmed during stereotactic radiosurgery treatments. The treatment errors these patients suffered are tragic. It’s important to remember that they also are extremely rare. No patient should refuse to undergo radiation therapy out of concern about the safety of the procedure.

Radiation therapy is a proven treatment. Used alone or in combination with other treatments, radiation therapy can ease pain, control the spread of cancer and, in many cases, cure patients of their disease. Nearly two-thirds of all U.S. patients diagnosed with cancer receive radiation therapy – more than 1 million patients per year. With each patient receiving an average course of 29 radiation therapy treatments, that means nearly 30 million treatments are delivered annually in the United States.

An entire team of medical professionals works to develop a customized treatment plan for each cancer patient. The radiation therapist is the team member who operates the equipment that delivers the prescribed, targeted dose of radiation to the patient. Registered radiation therapists are skilled specialists who have graduated from a rigorous educational program in radiation therapy and passed a national certification examination that demonstrates their knowledge of radiation biology and safety, patient anatomy and physiology, and patient care. They also must complete continuing education coursework to maintain their registration. The radiation therapist’s goal is to deliver an effective dose of radiation to the tumor while reducing damage to normal tissue that surrounds it.

Although radiation therapists are licensed in New York, 17 other states do not require individuals to hold a license in order to deliver radiation therapy. For over the last 10 years, the American Society of Radiologic Technology (ASRT) has lobbied for the U.S. Congress to pass the Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility and Excellence in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy bill (H.R. 3652). The CARE bill establishes minimum educational and certification standards for all health care workers who perform medical imaging examinations or who plan or deliver radiation therapy. The accuracy and quality of these procedures are directly related to the competency and qualifications of the personnel who provide them.

A few facts about the safety of radiation therapy:

During the time period 2001-2008, in New York alone, over 500,000 people recieved radiation treatment recieving 13.6 million treatments. During that time The New York Times identified 621 errors many of which were minor. This equates to a 0.0046% error rate. Therefore, radiation therapy is safe and effective 99.99% of the time.
Practices work continuously to strengthen the radiation oncology safety culture. There are sophisticated quality assurance tools that are used on the equipment, before and during treatment. There is also extensive training for treatments such as SBRT and SRS.

The best advocate there is for your treatment is you. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't leave until you are satisfied with the answers you are given. Above all, don't deny yourself treatment because of a newspaper article. Radiation therapy is a proven and effective treatment and cure.

Let's Talk About Prostate Cancer with Cyberknife Expert Dr. Alan J. Katz

2010-12-23T07:33:00.000-08:00

Dr. Katz, now seeing patients at Cyberknife of Long Island discusses Cyberknife Radiosurgery for prostate cancer in this YouTube video.

For more information about Prostate Cancer Treatment Options including the Cyberknife Robotic Radiosurgery System go to www.cyberknifeofli.com.

To see recent publications by Dr. Katz visit our publications page.

Cyberknife of Long Island Celebrates its One-Year Anniversary in September 2010

2010-09-22T06:58:00.000-07:00

Several milestones achieved following its first year treating patients in Suffolk County, New York

(Huntington, NY) – Cyberknife of Long Island celebrated its first year treating patients with the most sophisticated cancer fighting tools available. North Shore Radiation Therapy installed the system last September as part of a major upgrade to the services available to Suffolk County residents. “The last year has enabled us to offer more options to the community” said Jeffrey Musmacher, Chief Operating Officer at Cyberknife of Long Island “There is now no reason for patients to travel to New York City when the best equipment and physicians are located in our community”.

Program Highlights:

• More than 120 patients have been treated in the first year, exceeding expectations. This represents over 500 patient treatments.

• The center has attracted patients for Cyberknife treatment from as far as Massachusetts and California.

• A Cyberknife Nurse Coordinator was added to support increasing levels of inquiries and to also assist with the efficient coordination of care for patients.

• Diseases most often treated in the last year include: lung tumors; prostate cancer; brain tumors and spinal tumors. Prostate and brain lesions represent the largest number, with 65% of treatments falling into this category.

• Neurosurgeons are referring patients with trigeminal neuralgia, an uncommon nerve disorder that causes excruciating, electroshock-like pain throughout the face. CyberKnife has been effective in treating these patients and accomplishes this in one visit, with no cutting, no anesthesia, and no recovery time without the use of a head frame typical of other devices.

"Our first year has been extremely successful, and our team of physicians is constantly looking at new ways to grow the Cyberknife program and increase awareness for this cutting-edge treatment within the community," said Dr. Richard Byrnes, Medical Director of CyberKnife of Long Island.

“With the addition of Dr. Alan Katz, former director of the Cyberknife at Winthrop University Hospital to our practice we have been able to bring a wealth of knowledge to our practice” said Dr. Heather Zinkin, Radiation Oncologist at Cyberknife of Long Island. “His vast experience treating prostate cancer is among the largest in the world”.

CyberKnife is the world's only robotic radiosurgery system - a linear accelerator attached to a highly maneuverable robotic arm - and offers painless cancer treatment virtually anywhere in the human body. CyberKnife treats cancerous and benign tumors in the brain, spine, lung, liver, pancreas and prostate through a process called stereotactic radiosurgery, a noninvasive method of treating tumors with high-dose radiation precisely aimed from different angles. The result is greatly increased accuracy that spares healthy tissue.

There are about 180 Cyberknife systems around the world; the one at Cyberknife of Long Island is among the most advanced.

Since 1988, North Shore Radiation Therapy has provided premier radiation therapy services in New York. The center offers Cyberknife Radiosurgery, 3-D Conformal Radiation Therapy, IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy), IGRT (Image Guided Radiation Therapy), Rapid Arc, Partial Breast, Skin and Gynecological Brachytherapy. North Shore Radiation Therapy is the most experienced in all modalities of prostate cancer radiation therapy including radiosurgery and IGRT in Suffolk County. The centers are staffed by board certified physicians and highly trained clinicians with expertise in utilizing the most advanced radiation therapy technology. Located in Huntington and Smithtown, New York the centers are open Monday through Friday and accept all insurance plans. Appointments can be made by calling (631) 427-2273. You can visit the website at http://www.cyberknifeoflongisland.com/ or http://www.cancer-radiation.com/.

North Shore Radiation Therapy and Cyberknife of Long Island Participate in ASTRO “Safety in Radiation Therapy Meeting”

2010-07-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

Meeting Held in Miami to Discuss the Safety of Radiation Therapy Treatments

(Huntington, NY) - North Shore Radiation Therapy, the parent of Cyberknife of Long Island announced today their participation in the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) summit to discuss “Safety in Radiation Therapy” held June 24 to 25 in Miami. This meeting brought radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, physicists, administrators, regulators and vendors together to discuss recent events published in the New York Times and to better understand and apply technical and operational improvements to ensure the safe delivery of radiation in the treatment of cancer.

Many of the 350 attendees at the ASTRO meeting offered suggestions for improvements to limit distractions during treatment and to implement checklists to ensure compliance with proper procedures and protocols for radiation therapy treatment delivery. “The largest problem is that there are no universal methods in place of reporting radiation therapy errors” Jeffrey Musmacher, Chief Operating Officer at North Shore Radiation Therapy, the parent company of Cyberknife of Long Island. “Although we have a rigorous internal continuous quality program at our centers, many radiation therapy centers around the country do not. Collaborating with centers around the country to develop tools for reporting incidents or potential errors could be a great learning experience for everyone involved in treating cancer patients.”

In attendance at the meeting were leaders from many well known cancer centers including the Mayo Clinic and the University of North Carolina. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) also presented data reviewing the approval process for new medical devices such as the linear accelerator which are being changed to improve patient safety. “We are proud to have been part of this meeting and look forward to working towards improving radiation therapy treatments” said Mr. Musmacher.

Since 1988, North Shore Radiation Therapy has provided premier radiation therapy services in New York. The center offers Cyberknife Radiosurgery, 3-D Conformal Radiation Therapy, IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy), IGRT (Image Guided Radiation Therapy), Rapid Arc, Partial Breast, Skin and Gynecological Brachytherapy. North Shore Radiation Therapy is the most experienced in all modalities of prostate cancer radiation therapy including radiosurgery and IGRT in Suffolk County. The centers are staffed by board certified physicians and highly trained clinicians with expertise in utilizing the most advanced radiation therapy technology. Located in Huntington, and Smithtown, New York, the centers are open Monday through Friday, and accept all insurance plans. Appointments can be made by calling (631) 427-2273. You can visit the website at http://www.cancer-radiation.com/ or http://www.cyberknifeoflongisland.com/

Cyberknife Stereotactic Body Radiosurgery for Prostate Cancer

2010-06-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

Below is a reprint of an article written by a physician at Cyberknife of Long Island and North Shore Radiation Therapy. Dr. Alan Katz is world known for his treatment of prostate cancer using stereotactic radiosurgery.

UroToday.com - Our paper reports on the largest series of patients treated with CyberKnife® for prostate cancer at one institution.

In the year since we compiled the data, we have continued to be encouraged by the efficacy and toxicity profile. We still have not seen a local failure in the low or intermediate risk patients, with our early group treated with 35gy having a median followup of 42 months.

For two reasons, we have decreased our dose back from 36.25 Gy to 35 Gy. First, 35 Gy has been very effective, with a 36 month median PSA of 0.15, which is highly predictive of excellent long-term control according to the literature. Secondly, our 36.25 group did experience a small increase in the rate of Grade2-3 urethral toxicity.This is predictable based on the radiobiology. If the alpha-beta ratio for prostate cancer is 1.5 (that is, prostate cancer cells are highly sensitive to dose per fraction), then 35Gy in 5 fractions is the equivalent of 92 Gy in 1.8Gy fractions. This dose is on the flat part of the dose response curve, and therefore dose escalation is not necessary to maximize control. The alpha beta ratio for late complications is probably around 3, and therefore the 35Gy dose is in the 70-75 Gy range for late complications.

Therefore, I believe we are on the steep part of the dose response curve for complications and the 3% increase in the dose to 36.25 predictably increased toxicity in the urethra by bringing us to almost 80 GY dose equivalent. Adjusting the dose down should and does reduce late toxicity.
We did not see a concomitant increase in rectal toxicity, probably because we spared the rectal tissues with the conformality achieved with CyberKnife® technology, and we used the radioprotector Amifostine intrarectally prior to each fraction. Our potency preservation remains at 80%.
I am especially encouraged by our excellent results with intermediate and high risk disease with CyberKnife® alone. I will be publishing a series of patients who received a CyberKnife® boost after 45Gy to the pelvis for this category. There appears to be no benefit to adding the external beam in terms of efficacy and there is slightly greater rectal toxicity. If CyberKnife® alone is optimal treatment, this will afford a wide range of prostate cancer patients the chance to reduce their treatments from 45 to 5. This would be a huge benefit to older patients, especially those that have to travel long distances for radiation therapy. In addition, there is a great cost benefit to society. Medicare reimbursement for a five day CyberKnife® treament is less than IMRT and a small fraction of the cost of Proton beam therapy.
I believe that my series and the other two series, from Naples and Stanford, provides substantial early evidence that this dose fractionation scheme is highly effective and safe when delivered with CyberKnife® technology. Since my PSA nadirs are so low, I am very optimistic that our data will hold up with more follow up over time. It should be time for those who claim this treatment to be experimental to soften their position. To date, no form of radiotherapy has been compared to another with a prospective randomized trial. Therefore, I do not believe this to be necessary before offering patients the option of CyberKnife®. However, I would welcome such a trial against IMRT, protons or brachytherapy.

Written by Alan J. Katz, MD, JD as part of Beyond the Abstract on UroToday.com.

What is Trigeminal Neuralgia?

2010-06-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

Trigeminal Neuralgia is a painful disorder, in which a person suffers repeated episodes of severe facial pain. The pain is intense, and can be triggered by touching specific skin areas, also known as trigger points, with cold air. Other activities such as swallowing, speaking or eating, can precipitate the pain. Because eating can exacerbate attacks, some patients with trigeminal neuralgia will loose considerable weight.

Treatment Options

Medical Therapy

Medical therapy is the universally accepted first treatment option with patients with trigeminal neuralgia. Medications are initially effective for many patients, but over a period of time, their effectiveness often times diminishes. Medications such as Aspirin, Tylenol, or even Morphine and Xanax do not offer any relief. The primary drug used to treat trigeminal neuralgia is Tegretol. This is a drug that is generally used to treat seizures. Other anti-seizure medications such as Neurontin is also used. Unfortunately, many patients will suffer from persistence of their pain through medical therapy or suffer side effects from the medications and need to discontinue therapy.

Surgical Therapy

Surgical therapy is recommended for patients who continue to experience severe pain from trigeminal neuralgia or who are unable to tolerate the medications. Several different surgical options are available, including radiosurgery, radiofrequency, electrocoagulation, glycerol injection, balloon microcompression, and microvascular decompression. Radiosurgery is the most recent and least invasive surgical treatment for trigeminal neuralgia. It has been used for over 10 years for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia, and is the least likely surgical treatment to cause complications and uncomfortable new facial sensations (dysesthesias).

CyberKnife Radiosurgery

A patient with trigeminal neuralgia who has difficulty tolerating medications or who has pain despite medications is an excellent candidate for Cyberknife Radiosurgery. There are no incisions made, or anesthesia necessary. Therefore, a patient of almost any age or medical condition can undergo this treatment, so long as they are able to hold still in a comfortable position on a treatment table.
There are no risks of infection, cerebrospinal fluid leak or wound healing from Cyberknife Radiosurgery. Although rare, some patients may develop additional numbness in the face or may experience abnormal facial sensations. This occurs in less than 10% of patients.

Cyberknife of Long Island is proud to be able to offer this treatment and work with world class neurosurgeons.

Recent Study: Radiation Boosts Prostate Cancer Survival

2010-06-09T06:54:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO – Doctors are reporting a key advance in treating men with cancer that has started to spread beyond the prostate: survival is significantly better if radiation is added to standard hormone treatments.

Results of the study were given Sunday at a cancer conference, where other research showed that an experimental drug boosted survival for women with very advanced breast cancer. The drug is being reviewed by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

The prostate study has the potential to change care right away. About 20 percent of the nearly 200,000 men diagnosed with the disease each year in the United States are like those in the study — with cancer that has spread to the area around the prostate.

“It is this group of patients in whom many of the deaths from prostate cancer occur,” because the condition is usually incurable, said study leader Dr. Padraig Warde, a radiation expert from the University of Toronto’s Princess Margaret Hospital.

These men are treated with drugs that block testosterone, a hormone that helps prostate cancer grow. Only about half also get radiation because of concerns about urinary problems it can cause. Even though these treatments have been used for decades, few studies have been done to establish their value alone or in combination.

The new study assigned 1,200 men to get hormones plus radiation or hormones alone. After seven years, 74 percent of men receiving both treatments were alive versus 66 percent of the others. Those on both treatments lived an average of six months longer than those given just hormones.

Serious side effects occurred in less than 2 percent of men in either group. The study was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute of Canada.

The results show that “radiation is an indispensable element in the treatment of patients with high-risk prostate cancer,” said Dr. Jennifer Obel, a cancer specialist at Northshore University Health System in suburban Chicago who had no role in the study.

Dr. Otis Brawley, the American Cancer Society’s chief medical officer, praised the survival advantage but said he wished it were larger.

“It’s a practice-changing study in certain countries,” especially in Europe, where more men are diagnosed with locally advanced tumors than in the United States, he said.

In the U.S., about 192,280 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed last year, and it claimed 27,360 lives.

The breast cancer study tested eribulin, a drug derived from a sea sponge. Unlike Herceptin and other gene-targeted drugs that have been the focus of cancer research for the past decade, this one is a chemotherapy — a drug that kills cancer cells, in this case by attacking cell division in a novel way.

The study tested it in 762 women whose cancer had either recurred after initial treatment or had spread beyond the breast. All were getting worse despite having tried an average of four previous drugs.

Two-thirds were given eribulin, and the others received whatever treatment their doctors wanted to try, since there is no standard of care in this situation.

Median survival was just over 13 months for those on eribulin versus less than 11 months for the others, said study leader Dr. Christopher Twelves, of St. James’s Institute of Oncology in Leeds, England.

About half of women on eribulin had typical chemotherapy side effects — fatigue, low white blood cell counts, loss of hair, numbness and tingling in different parts of the body. About one-fourth of women in each group had serious side effects related to their treatments.

The study was sponsored by Japan-based Eisai Inc., which last week received a promise of quick review from the FDA. A company spokesman said no price has yet been set for the drug.

“There aren’t many drugs that show a survival advantage in this setting,” and the amount of benefit seen in this study gives eribulin “a reasonable chance” of being approved, said Dr. Eric Winer, breast cancer chief at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

More than 1 million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. In the United States last year, there were an estimated 194,280 new cases and 40,610 deaths from the disease.

The studies were reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Source: Article written by AP Medical Writer, Marilynn Marchione of the Associated Press (06/06/10)

Cyberknife of Long Island Destroys Prostate Cancer Non-Invasively using Radiosurgery

2010-05-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

Dr. Alan Katz a world leader in Cyberknife Radiosurgery for Prostate Cancer joins Cyberknife of Long Island

(Huntington, NY) – Cyberknife of Long Island treats tumors with the most advanced radiosurgery technology available. The latest generation of the Cyberknife by Accuray offers unprecedented capabilities and renewed hope to prostate cancer patients. Cyberknife of Long Island is pleased to welcome Dr. Alan Katz to the practice. "We are proud to continue delivering on our promise to provide the highest quality, most advanced prostate cancer treatment in the region with the addition of Dr. Katz." said Jeffrey Musmacher, Chief Operating Officer at North Shore Radiation Therapy, the parent company of Cyberknife of Long Island. Prior to joining the practice, Dr. Katz was the Director of Radiation Oncology and the Cyberknife program at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, New York. He has 30 years of experience in radiation therapy and is a world leader in Cyberknife Radiosurgery. Dr. Katz has published numerous papers on radiosurgery and has the world’s largest group of patients treated for prostate cancer using the Cyberknife System. He is listed among the “Top Doctors” by Castle Connolly since 2003.

North Shore Radiation Therapy has installed the most-advanced version of the system in their New York office located in Smithtown.

"This technology will offer a new treatment option that revolutionizes prostate cancer treatment," said Richard Byrnes, MD, the center’s Medical Director. "The advanced technology behind CyberKnife uses real time image guidance technology and computer controlled robotics to deliver an extremely precise dose of radiation to the prostate, avoiding the surrounding healthy tissue and adjusting for patient and tumor movement during treatment."

"The procedure requires no anesthesia, as the treatment is painless and non-invasive" said Heather Zinkin, a Radiation Oncologist at Cyberknife of Long Island. “The machine's robotic arm works continually with image guided technology and has the ability to move in three dimensions according to the treatment plan.”

The prostate cancer treatment has success rates equivalent to surgery and conventional radiation therapy, and generally lasts between 30 to 60 minutes.

This treatment can also successfully treat brain and spine tumors, lung cancers and other cancers that are in areas that move involuntarily - like in the respiratory or digestive system.

"These treatments are out-patient procedures, ranging from five to as little as one visit, allowing patients to continue their normal activities," Dr. Zinkin said.

There are about 180 Cyberknife systems around the world; the one at Cyberknife of Long Island is among the most advanced.

Since 1988, North Shore Radiation Therapy has provided premier radiation therapy services in New York. The center offers Cyberknife Radiosurgery, 3-D Conformal Radiation Therapy, IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy), IGRT (Image Guided Radiation Therapy), Rapid Arc, Partial Breast, Skin and Gynecological Brachytherapy. North Shore Radiation Therapy is the most experienced in all modalities of prostate cancer radiation therapy including radiosurgery and IGRT in Suffolk County. The centers are staffed by board certified physicians and highly trained clinicians with expertise in utilizing the most advanced radiation therapy technology. Located in Huntington and Smithtown, New York the centers are open Monday through Friday and accept all insurance plans. Appointments can be made by calling (631) 427-2273. You can visit the website at http://www.cyberknifeoflongisland.com/ or http://www.cancer-radiation.com/.

Cyberknife Treatment for Lung Cancer

2010-05-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

Traditional lung cancer treatment often requires surgeries and weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. These invasive treatments can take a toll on on the body. Now lung cancer patients have another option: non-surgical CyberKnife treatment. With CyberKnife, patients avoid most of the side effects associated with cancer treatment, while getting highly targeted radiosurgical treatment.

Benefits of CyberKnife for Lung Cancer

Lung cancer presents some unique challenges. Tumors often have irregular borders. This makes the cancer cells difficult to separate from healthy tissue. What makes treatment more challenging is that every breath may move the tumor, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint the location of the tumor and target it effectively. CyberKnife overcomes these lung cancer treatment challenges:

The CyberKnife is a robotic treatment delivery system that easily pinpoints cancer cells using unique targeting technology.

For lung tumors that may be inoperable due to location, the CyberKnife is an excellent option.

A body mold limits motion, but the CyberKnife also uses sophisticated tracking to account for even the slightest position changes, including the motion caused by ordinary breathing.

Preparing for CyberKnife Treatment

Since CyberKnife is non-surgical and non-invasive, it requires little preparation on the part of the patient. Treatments are delivered on an outpatient basis and are completed in less than one week.

1. Before the first treatment, the doctor may place fiducial markers around the tumor. These tiny gold seeds help the CyberKnife to locate the tumor. They can be placed through bronchoscopy or through a procedure similar to a biopsy.

2. A CAT scan is done, which shows the exact location, size, and shape of the tumor. Sometimes the doctor may also order a PET or MRI scan.

3. A treatment plan is developed by the Radiation Oncologist and Physicist. You do not need to be present for this part of the procedure.

4. The pain-free treatments are delivered in our office on an outpatient basis. A video showing the treatment can be found here.

For more information, call a Cyberknife Certified Physician at (631) 427-2273 or email me.

Dr. Alan Katz Interview on FOX News

2010-05-20T09:13:00.001-07:00

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Alan Katz has joined our Cyberknife Team and brings with him 30 years of experience in Radiation Therapy. He has published many papers on Cyberknife Radiosurgery for prostate cancer and has the largest group of patients treated.

Click Here for the First Part of the Interview

Click Here for the Second Part of the Interview

Dr. Alan Katz Interview on FOX News

2010-05-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

Cyberknife Radiosurgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia

2010-04-26T12:08:00.004-07:00

Trigeminal Neuralgia is often characterised by episodes of intense facial pain that usually last from a few seconds to several minutes or more. The attacks are often described as stabbing electric shocks, burning, pressing, crushing, exploding or shooting pain that becomes intractable.

Unfortunately, the symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia are often falsely attributed to dental diseases. Because of this difficulty, many patients go untreated unless a correct diagnosis is made.

There is evidence that points towards the need to quickly treat and diagnose Trigeminal Neuralgia. It is thought that the longer a patient suffers from Trigeminal Neuralgia, the harder it may be to reverse the neural pathways associated with the pain. Therefore it is essential that physicians are made aware of the seriousness of Trigeminal Neuralgia and the level of pain that is experienced.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

Medical treatment may involve usage of Anticonvulsants such as carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, topiramate, phenytoin, or gabapentin and sometimes low doses of some antidepressants such as amytriptiline.

When looking at surgical options, the microvascular decompression is the only one aimed at fixing the presumed cause of the pain. Other procedures use needles that enter through the face into the opening where the nerve first splits. Excellent success rates using a percutaneous surgical procedure known as balloon compression are available. This technique has been used in treating the elderly for whom surgery may not be an option due to coexisting health conditions. Balloon compression is also the best choice for patients who have ophthalmic nerve pain or have experienced recurrent pain after microvascular decompression.

Other options involve using glycerol injections and radiofrequency rhizotomies. Glycerol injections involve injecting an alcohol-like substance into the cavern that bathes the nerve near its junction. This liquid is corrosive to the nerve fibers and can mildly injure the nerve enough to hinder the errant pain signals. In a radiofrequency rhizotomy, the surgeon uses an electrode to heat the selected division or divisions of the nerve. Done well, this procedure can target the exact regions of the errant pain triggers and disable them with minimal numbness.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery is an excellent outpatient treatment that provides non-surgical relief.
Using noninvasive head immobilization and advanced image-guidance technology, the CyberKnife dynamically tracks skull position and orientation during treatment, thereby ensuring targeting accuracy throughout the entire procedure, and patients are spared the discomfort of frame fixation onto their skulls. CyberKnife radiosurgery offers the ability to deliver nonisocentric, conformal and homogeneous radiation doses to nonspherical structures such as the trigeminal nerve. There are no risks of infection, cerebrospinal fluid leak or wound healing from Cyberknife Radiosurgery. However, some patients may develop additional numbness in the face or may experience abnormal facial sensations. This occurs in less than 10% of patients.

For more information visit us at http://www.cyberknifeofli.com/, email or call 631-427-2273 for an appointment.

Cyberknife Radiosurgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia

2010-04-26T12:08:00.001-07:00

Cyberknife Radiosurgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia

2010-04-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

Stereotactic Radiation Therapy Stops Lung Cancer

2010-04-14T05:50:00.005-07:00

Below is a copy of a study that shows the promise of Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Lung Cancer. North Shore Radiation Therapy/Cyberknife of Long Island currently offers this and is a leader for this treatment on Long Island. We are proud to offer this treatment in as little as one pain-free visit. Call us at 631-427-2273 for more information.

Chicago - Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) stopped the growth of cancer at its original site in the lung for three years among nearly 98 percent of patients with early non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are unable to have the cancer surgically removed, according to an updated three-year study presented November 2, 2009, at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

The study also shows that more than half (56 percent) of these patients lived for three years after diagnosis, while 48 percent survived for three years after cancer treatment with no sign of the disease returning. Researchers also found that despite the high potency of treatment, less than 20 percent of these extremely frail patients experienced a serious decline in their health status. This finding was better than researchers expected and is similar to the risks for healthier patients to undergo radical surgery.

“The results of the RTOG 0236 study confirms that SBRT should now be considered a standard treatment in early-stage lung cancer patients with co-existing serious medical problems, such as emphysema, heart disease and stroke,” Robert D. Timmerman, M.D., lead author of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) study and a radiation oncologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas said. “It also begs the question of whether SBRT should be considered in healthier patients with lung cancer who are treated with surgery.”

Stereotactic body radiation therapy is a specialized type of external beam radiation therapy that pinpoints high doses of radiation directly on the cancer in a shorter amount of time than traditional treatments. Cancer centers often call the treatments by the brand names of the manufacturers, including Axesse, CyberKnife, Gamma Knife, Novalis, Primatom, Synergy, X-Knife, TomoTherapy and Trilogy. Treatment in the study was delivered in 1½ to 2 weeks, instead of a typical period of 6 to 8 weeks.

For the past century, the standard treatment for early-stage NSCLC has been radical surgery that has involved removing a lobe or even the entire lung on the affected side. This surgery can be difficult for many patients as other medical conditions can hinder their recovery. The phase II trial took place from May 2004 to October 2006 and involved 55 patients at eight RTOG institutions in the U.S. and Canada. They received SBRT with a dose of 54 Gy in three fractions. The medium follow-up after treatment was 34 months.

The study was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute and Advanced Technology Consortium.

Stereotactic Radiation Therapy Stops Lung Cancer

2010-04-14T05:50:00.004-07:00

Stereotactic Radiation Therapy Stops Lung Cancer

2010-04-14T05:50:00.001-07:00

Stereotactic Radiation Therapy Stops Lung Cancer

2010-04-14T05:50:00.000-07:00

Physician Explains Cyberknife Radiation Therapy for Cancer

2010-04-12T09:40:00.005-07:00

Dr. Richard Byrnes, Medical Director at North Shore Radiation Therapy and Cyberknife of Long Island discusses the Cyberknife System for the treatment of cancer. In this interview with WALK Radio, Dr. Byrnes explains the history and theory behind Radiosurgery, Cyberknife Radiosurgery and the treatment of cancers including lung cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic and liver cancers, brain tumors and some non-malignant diseases. Click here to hear the interview.

Physician Explains Cyberknife Radiation Therapy for Cancer

2010-04-12T09:40:00.004-07:00

Physician Explains Cyberknife Radiation Therapy for Cancer

2010-04-12T09:40:00.001-07:00

Physician Explains Cyberknife Radiation Therapy for Cancer

2010-04-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

Physician Explains Cyberknife Radiation Therapy for Cancer Treatment

2010-04-12T09:37:00.004-07:00

Physician Explains Cyberknife Radiation Therapy for Cancer Treatment

2010-04-12T09:37:00.001-07:00

Physician Explains Cyberknife Radiation Therapy for Cancer Treatment

2010-04-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

Cyberknife Radiosurgery for Lung Tumors - An Alternative to Surgery

2010-02-24T07:39:00.005-08:00

CyberKnife radiosurgery offers lung cancer patients a non-invasive way to treat their disease. The outpatient treatment is completed in one to five visits, and is painless and non-surgical. Because the CyberKnife System uses continual image guidance along with continual correction for respiratory motion, it is able to deliver high-doses of radiation to the tumor from hundreds of angles with pinpoint accuracy. With surgery not being the appropriate treatment for all lung cancers, this method of treatment offers new hope to those that cannot have of do not wish to undergo a surgical procedure.

The challenge that faces clinicians treating lung tumors is that the tumors move with breathing. Radiosurgery devices like the Cyberknife Robotic Radiosurgery System give patients a new alternative for the lung cancer treatment. Different from traditional radiation therapy, the Cyberknife System accurately identifies the tumor site as the patient breathes normally during treatment and can be utilized, in a number of cases, to treat lung tumors non-invasively.

The treatment of lung cancer with the Cyberknife System involves a team approach, in which a number of specialists take part. The patient's team may include a surgeon, a radiation oncologist, an interventional radiologist, a medical physicist, a radiation therapist, and medical support staff.

With just 30% of patients being eligible for traditional surgery to remove the tumor, Cyberknife with its image guided robotic technology has showed to be valuable with its non-invasive, non-surgical technique for treating patients suffering with other diseases that make it impossible for them to have surgery.

For more information, visit our website at www.cyberknifeofli.com where you could click on the videos tab and see how the treatment is delivered. You can also call our office at 631-864-5600 to speak with a physician.

Cyberknife Radiosurgery for Lung Tumors - An Alternative to Surgery

2010-02-24T07:39:00.002-08:00

Cyberknife Radiosurgery for Lung Tumors - An Alternative to Surgery

2010-02-24T07:39:00.001-08:00

CyberKnife for Lung Cancer - Alternative to Surgery

2010-02-24T07:30:00.005-08:00

CyberKnife for Lung Cancer - Alternative to Surgery

2010-02-24T07:30:00.004-08:00

CyberKnife for Lung Cancer - Alternative to Surgery

2010-02-24T07:30:00.001-08:00

CyberKnife for Lung Cancer - Alternative to Surgery

2010-02-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

New York Times Article - Response on Radiation Therapy and Cyberknife Radiosurgery

2010-02-01T05:30:00.010-08:00

A Jan. 24 article in the New York Times detailed the stories of two cancer patients who were injured during radiation therapy treatments. The treatment errors these patients suffered are tragic. It’s important to remember that they also are extremely rare. No patient should refuse to undergo radiation therapy out of concern about the safety of the procedure.

Radiation therapy is a proven treatment. Used alone or in combination with other treatments, radiation therapy can ease pain, control the spread of cancer and, in many cases, cure patients of their disease. Nearly two-thirds of all U.S. patients diagnosed with cancer receive radiation therapy – more than 1 million patients per year. With each patient receiving an average course of 29 radiation therapy treatments, that means nearly 30 million treatments are delivered annually in the United States.

An entire team of medical professionals works to develop a customized treatment plan for each cancer patient. The radiation therapist is the team member who operates the equipment that delivers the prescribed, targeted dose of radiation to the patient. Registered radiation therapists are skilled specialists who have graduated from a rigorous educational program in radiation therapy and passed a national certification examination that demonstrates their knowledge of radiation biology and safety, patient anatomy and physiology, and patient care. They also must complete continuing education coursework to maintain their registration. The radiation therapist’s goal is to deliver an effective dose of radiation to the tumor while reducing damage to normal tissue that surrounds it.

Although radiation therapists are licensed in New York, 17 other states do not require individuals to hold a license in order to deliver radiation therapy. For over the last 10 years, the American Society of Radiologic Technology (ASRT) has lobbied for the U.S. Congress to pass the Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility and Excellence in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy bill (H.R. 3652). The CARE bill establishes minimum educational and certification standards for all health care workers who perform medical imaging examinations or who plan or deliver radiation therapy. The accuracy and quality of these procedures are directly related to the competency and qualifications of the personnel who provide them.

The errors such as those described in the New York Times article, while rare, must be reported and investigated so that others may learn from them. Rigid controls must be in place at every radiation therapy facility to ensure the accuracy of treatments. Radiation therapy is an important tool in the battle to control, contain and cure cancer. Thanks to the care provided by registered radiation therapists, millions of Americans are cancer survivors.

Before seeking treatment, it is important to check on accreditation. Our facility is fully accredited by the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO). We exceed the minimum set standards for Radiation Oncology and Quality Assurance. We are held to a much higher level and treat in a manner that reflects these standards. Be sure to ask any facility that you visit if they are accredited by ACRO. It makes a difference...

New York Times Article - Response on Radiation Therapy and Cyberknife Radiosurgery

2010-02-01T05:30:00.009-08:00

New York Times Article - Response on Radiation Therapy and Cyberknife Radiosurgery

2010-02-01T05:30:00.008-08:00

New York Times Article - Response on Radiation Therapy and Cyberknife Radiosurgery

2010-02-01T05:30:00.003-08:00

New York Times Article - Response on Radiation Therapy and Cyberknife Radiosurgery

2010-02-01T05:30:00.002-08:00

New York Times Article - Response on Radiation Therapy and Cyberknife Radiosurgery

2010-02-01T05:30:00.001-08:00

New York Times Article - Response on Radiation Therapy and Cyberknife Radiosurgery

2010-02-01T05:30:00.000-08:00

Liver Cancer Treatment Using Cyberknife

2010-01-21T09:33:00.016-08:00

Treating liver cancer with radiation therapy is a challenge because liver tumors move with respiration. In addition the tissue surrounding the liver tumors is very sensitive and can be damaged easily. The CyberKnife Radiosurgery System at Cyberknife of Long Island is able to deliver very high doses of radiation to both primary and metastatic liver tumors with extreme accuracy. Working in conjunction with the CyberKnife System is the Synchrony® Respiratory Tracking System, which enables the radiation beam to track tumor movement in real time and allows patients to breathe normally during their treatment sessions. With the CyberKnife System, doctors can zero in on a moving target - the liver tumor - and irradiate it without harming the healthy surrounding tissue. As a result, the CyberKnife treatment is more comfortable for patients, radiation is delivered more accurately and treatments can be completed in one to five sessions.

Liver cancer treatment with the CyberKnife System involves a team approach, in which several specialists participate. A team may include:

a Radiation Oncologist
a General Surgeon
a Medical Oncologist
a Medical Physicist
a dedicated Cyberknife Nurse Coordinator
a Radiation Therapist
medical support staff

Once the team is in place, the patient will begin preparation for CyberKnife treatment.

The CyberKnife treatment generally involves four steps:

1. Fiducial placement
2. Set-up and imaging
3. Treatment planning
4. CyberKnife treatment

During the first step, the patient is scheduled for a short outpatient procedure in which three to six fiducials - tiny gold seeds each about the size of a grain of rice - are inserted into and around the liver tumor using CT guidance, ultrasound or via a camera that is passed through the mouth into the stomach and small intestine. The CyberKnife System uses those fiducial markers as reference points to identify the exact location of the tumor during treatment. Once fiducials are implanted, the patient must wait approximately one week before CyberKnife treatment planning can begin to ensure that fiducial movement has stabilized.

During set-up and imaging, the patient will be fitted for a custom body cradle, which is designed to help keep him or her more comfortable and ensures consistent positioning for both imaging and treatment. The patient also will be fitted with a special Synchrony vest, which is worn during CyberKnife treatment and enables the robot to correlate chest motion and breathing patterns with the tumor position. The data generated with the vest allows the CyberKnife robot to precisely follow the tumor's motion as it delivers each beam of radiation, ensuring safe and accurate radiation delivery.
While wearing the vest and positioned in the cradle, the patient then will undergo a series of CT imaging studies, which will enable the CyberKnife team to determine the exact size, shape and location of the tumor. An MRI or PET-CT scan also may be necessary to fully visualize the tumor, liver and nearby anatomy. Once the imaging is done, the Synchrony vest and body cradle will be stored for use during CyberKnife treatment.

Next a treatment plan will be specifically designed by a medical physicist in conjunction with the patient's doctors. The patient does not need to be present at this time. During treatment planning, the imaging data is downloaded into the CyberKnife System's software. The medical team determines the size of the area being targeted by radiation and the radiation dosage, as well as identifying critical structures where radiation should be minimized. Each patient's unique treatment plan will take full advantage of the CyberKnife System's extreme maneuverability, allowing for a safe and accurate liver cancer treatment.
After a treatment plan is developed, the patient returns to the CyberKnife center for treatment. Doctors may choose to deliver the liver cancer treatment in one session, or stage it over several days. Liver cancer treatments are typically completed within one week.

For most patients, the CyberKnife treatment is a completely pain-free experience. Patients dress comfortably in their own clothes and, depending on the treatment center, they may be allowed to bring music to listen to during the treatment. Patients also may want to bring something to read while they wait, and have a friend or family member with them to provide support before and after treatment.

When it is time for treatment, the patient will be asked to put on their Synchrony vest and lie on their custom body cradle. The radiation therapist will ensure the vest is properly adjusted and that the patient is positioned correctly on the treatment couch.
As treatment begins, the location of the liver tumor will be tracked and detected continually as the patient breathes normally. The medical team will be watching every step of the way as the CyberKnife System tracks the patient's liver tumor as it moves, and safely and precisely delivers radiation to it.

The CyberKnife System's computer-controlled robot will move around the patient's body to various locations from which it will deliver radiation. At each position, the robot will stop. Then, special software will determine precisely where the radiation should be delivered by correlating the location of the tumor using digital images of the fiducials and information from the Synchrony vest. The CyberKnife's robotic arm will adjust the radiation source automatically, to follow the liver tumor as it moves. Nothing will be required of the patient during treatment, except to relax and lie as still as possible.

Once treatment is complete, most patients quickly return to their daily routines with little interruption to their normal activities. If treatment is being delivered in stages, the patient will need to return for additional treatments over the next several days as determined by their doctors. After CyberKnife treatments, most patients experience minimal side effects, which typically go away within the first week or two after treatment. Doctors will discuss all possible side effects prior to treatment. In addition, doctors may prescribe medication to control any side effects, should they occur.

After completing CyberKnife radiosurgery treatment, it is important for the patient to schedule and attend any follow-up appointments. The patient should be aware that his or her tumor will not suddenly disappear. Response to liver cancer treatment varies from patient to patient. It could take several months or longer to determine the effectiveness of the CyberKnife treatment. Doctors will monitor the outcome in the months and years following a patient's treatment through physical exams, blood tests and imaging techniques, such as CT or PET-CT scans.

Let the expert team at CyberKnife of Long Island explain the technology and provide information on this exciting new treatment option. You can also view videos of this treatment for a better understanding of how CyberKnife works. A downloadable PDF Brochure is also available.

Liver Cancer Treatment Using Cyberknife

2010-01-21T09:33:00.015-08:00

Liver Cancer Treatment Using Cyberknife

2010-01-21T09:33:00.014-08:00

Liver Cancer Treatment Using Cyberknife

2010-01-21T09:33:00.013-08:00

Liver Cancer Treatment Using Cyberknife

2010-01-21T09:33:00.012-08:00

Liver Cancer Treatment Using Cyberknife

2010-01-21T09:33:00.005-08:00

Liver Cancer Treatment Using Cyberknife

2010-01-21T09:33:00.004-08:00

Liver Cancer Treatment Using Cyberknife

2010-01-21T09:33:00.003-08:00

Liver Cancer Treatment Using Cyberknife

2010-01-21T09:33:00.002-08:00

Liver Cancer Treatment Using Cyberknife

2010-01-21T09:33:00.001-08:00

Liver Cancer Treatment Using Cyberknife

2010-01-21T09:33:00.000-08:00

Is Cyberknife Treatment for me?

2010-01-20T04:54:00.016-08:00

CyberKnife of Long Island is the first of its kind in Suffolk County. In fact, it is only one of three operating in New York State. This investment means that people who have been diagnosed with tumors and other medical conditions previously considered inoperable can now be treated. Cyberknife is also a treatment option for many cancers that previously required surgery, these include the following:

Brain
Cyberknife provides finite radiosurgical technology for tumors of the brain.

Spine
Many of the conditions that occur in the brain also occur in the spine and CyberKnife has marked advantages over other radiosurgical techniques in that it is capable of targeting spinal lesions.

Lung
Single or several tumours in the lung may be treated by single or only three fractions of CyberKnife radiation therapy.

Prostate
CyberKnife now offers a method to treat prostate cancers while limiting some of the side effects associated with other treatment techniques. This is done with far fewer visits to the center for standard therapy (Imagine 5 short pain-free visits instead of 44!).

Pancreas
CyberKnife allows for very high doses of radiation to the tumor while sparing surrounding organs.

Liver
A treatment that is able to spare the adjacent liver seems to be very successful.

Kidney
Renal cancer is one of the more radioresistant cancers and the need for higher radiation doses is restricted by the dose that surrounding tissues will tolerate. Radiation therapy by th CyberKnife System can be most useful in these situations. With its high degree of accuracy, CyberKnife is the optimal method of delivering an ablative radiation dose.

Other cancers
There are always cancer patients referred into the our center with sites of disease that have failed other therapies and remain as symptomatic sites of disease. The use of CyberKnife for metastases is an important advance.

Re-treatments
The ability of CyberKnife to deliver high doses of radiation to sites of cancer has led to the safer re-treatment of cancers that may have re-curred after previous radiotherapy.

Let the expert team at CyberKnife of Long Island explain the technology and provide information on this exciting new treatment option. You can also view videos of this treatment for a better understanding of how CyberKnife works. A downloadable PDF Brochure is also available.

Is Cyberknife Treatment for me?

2010-01-20T04:54:00.015-08:00

Is Cyberknife Treatment for me?

2010-01-20T04:54:00.014-08:00

Is Cyberknife Treatment for me?

2010-01-20T04:54:00.013-08:00

Is Cyberknife Treatment for me?

2010-01-20T04:54:00.012-08:00

Is Cyberknife Treatment for me?

2010-01-20T04:54:00.005-08:00

Is Cyberknife Treatment for me?

2010-01-20T04:54:00.004-08:00

Is Cyberknife Treatment for me?

2010-01-20T04:54:00.003-08:00

Is Cyberknife Treatment for me?

2010-01-20T04:54:00.002-08:00

Is Cyberknife Treatment for me?

2010-01-20T04:54:00.001-08:00

Is Cyberknife Treatment for me?

2010-01-20T04:54:00.000-08:00

The Synchrony Respiratory Tracking System

2010-01-18T09:25:00.016-08:00

This revolutionary system is designed to track tumor movement during breathing. The patient wears a vest or a simple "Under Armor" T-Shirt and during treatment. The shirt/vest tracks tumor motion, directing the linear accelerator to deliver highly accurate radiation beams to the moving tumor. The Synchrony System constantly updates its correlation model with each new X-ray image, automatically correcting for any changes in the patient’s breathing patterns. The custom-designed Vest and Tracking Markers allows for simplified patient setup and marker placement, especially for multi-fraction treatments where the Vest and Markers rarely need to be adjusted. Patients are directed to breathe normally throughout treatment delivery. Tumors that can be treated with the Vest and Markers include tumors in the Lungs, Pancreas, Kidney, or Liver.

The Synchrony Respiratory Tracking System

2010-01-18T09:25:00.015-08:00

The Synchrony Respiratory Tracking System

2010-01-18T09:25:00.014-08:00

The Synchrony Respiratory Tracking System

2010-01-18T09:25:00.013-08:00

The Synchrony Respiratory Tracking System

2010-01-18T09:25:00.012-08:00

The Synchrony Respiratory Tracking System

2010-01-18T09:25:00.005-08:00

The Synchrony Respiratory Tracking System

2010-01-18T09:25:00.004-08:00

The Synchrony Respiratory Tracking System

2010-01-18T09:25:00.003-08:00

The Synchrony Respiratory Tracking System

2010-01-18T09:25:00.002-08:00

The Synchrony Respiratory Tracking System

2010-01-18T09:25:00.001-08:00

The Synchrony Respiratory Tracking System

2010-01-18T09:25:00.000-08:00

Why We Can't Cure Cancer

2009-11-04T12:51:00.016-08:00

There has been a "war on cancer" for over five decades now, and it seems little has changed, and more and more people are diagnosed with cancer and die from cancer each day. Actually we have made great advances our understanding of the disease and in diagnosis and treatment.

Unfortunately, the complexity of the problem seems to grow with our understanding. Consider this; Cancer is over one hundred diseases, which are all different but all the same. Saying a disease is a cancer is like calling a vehicle an automobile. All cars have four tires, windshield wipers and a steering wheel, etc., but a dune buggy has very different parts than a Volvo. Likewise, breast cancer is different from prostate cancer, and colon cancer is different from lung cancer. Thus their symptoms of presentation, patterns of spread, and treatment are different. It is unlikely there will be one simple solution for all these different diseases we call cancer.

Consider what we are trying to accomplish when we try to analyze all the different kinds of cancer. You are looking through a telescope at the parking garage at Yankee Stadium, 100 miles away. There are two identical looking red cars. From your vantage point, you have to tell what kind of cars they are, and what kind of engines the cars have. And you have to be able to look deeper, what color is the interior, and what type of sound system does it have?

Now look at the CD player and see there is a Billy Joel Album, maybe Piano Man. Is it playing? What track is it on? Look at the third track and the 405th note in that track, there is a scratch altering the machines ability to render the song and changing the melody to a repetitive cacophony. Now fix the scratch and change the disc back to normal, without hurting anything in the car or other cars around it. Oh, and remember that you must be able to do this from 100 miles away.

The research conducted has given us tremendous insight into the molecular function of the cell, and chemical pathways which are damaged in a cancerous cell. We have demonstrated how cancer cells can be inactivated or turned back to normal by changing these chemical pathways. Here is the "Holy Grail" - just repair the damage that causes a cell to behave wrong, and cure the cancer. Fix the scratch on the CD, from 100 yards away, so to speak. We have used this new knowledge to establish the basis for a host of new drugs and the timing of treatments. In some cases the results have been very encouraging, and in others, we have learned how rapidly nature adapts and finds ways around our chemical roadblocks.

While we continue to apply these new tools to treat cancer, we should keep in mind that the best way to approach this problem is probably not to become a cancer patient in the fist place. Don't get a scratch on your CD. Does that sound too easy? Well for some cancers like brain tumors, breast cancer and prostate cancer it is not that simple because we don't know the cause of these cancers. But for others, it is and we do. We know that 40% of all cancers are related to lifestyle choices such as smoking, exercise, diet, sun exposure and personal habits.

That means theoretically over 400,000 cases of cancer per year could be avoided with our individual effort to live differently. That is a huge number of people. All it takes is a bit of effort on our part. So, let's get started, what are you doing tomorrow? Would you to take a 30 minute walk with me?

Why We Can't Cure Cancer

2009-11-04T12:51:00.015-08:00

Why We Can't Cure Cancer

2009-11-04T12:51:00.014-08:00

Why We Can't Cure Cancer

2009-11-04T12:51:00.013-08:00

Why We Can't Cure Cancer

2009-11-04T12:51:00.012-08:00

Why We Can't Cure Cancer

2009-11-04T12:51:00.005-08:00

Why We Can't Cure Cancer

2009-11-04T12:51:00.004-08:00

Why We Can't Cure Cancer

2009-11-04T12:51:00.003-08:00

Why We Can't Cure Cancer

2009-11-04T12:51:00.002-08:00

Why We Can't Cure Cancer

2009-11-04T12:51:00.001-08:00