Patient Guide to CyberKnife® Treatment

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Patient Guide to CyberKnife® Treatment
Created by CyberKnife Center of Chicago, a service of Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare
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(331) 221-2050 | www.chicagock.com
200 Berteau Avenue, Elmhurst, IL 60126

The CyberKnife®
treats patients with a procedure called
stereotactic radiosurgery, a noninvasive method of
treating tumors with high-dose radiation precisely aimed
from different angles. It is the world’s only robotic
radiosurgery system, comprised of a compact linear
accelerator – a machine that generates a radiation beam
– attached to a highly maneuverable robotic arm.While
the name may conjure images of knives and scalpels,
CyberKnife treatment does not require surgery.
Treatment is painless and noninvasive, so there’s no
cutting or anesthesia required.
CyberKnifeTreatment:
Overview
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CyberKnife destroys cancerous and benign tumors with
high-dose, highly accurate radiation beams while minimizing
damage to healthy tissue.This pinpoint accuracy allows our
physicians to treat difficult-to-reach tumors that may have
been impossible to treat in the past. By delivering high-dose
radiation from precise angles, CyberKnife also significantly
reduces treatment time for the patient.With CyberKnife,
the duration of treatment is reduced to one to five
treatments over a course of one to two weeks, depending
on the size, location and type of tumor. In contrast,
traditional radiation therapy is typically delivered for five
days a week over a period of six to eight weeks.
Overview
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Most patients go home right after
CyberKnife treatment and immediately
resume normal activities.There may be
side effects, such as fatigue, but these
are usually minor and temporary.
Overview
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Quick Links
Why Choose
CyberKnife?
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How Does
CyberKnife Work?
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Treatment
Comparisons
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BeforeTreatment
Call CyberKnife Center of Chicago to begin the process of
determining whether you’re a candidate for CyberKnife
treatment. Based on the initial conversation, we’ll schedule a
personal consultation within the following two to four days.
You’ll meet with a member of our physician team, and a decision
will be made whether CyberKnife treatment is right for you.
Listed on the following slides are some procedures that may be
performed prior to your CyberKnife treatment. Every treatment
plan is different, and not all of these initial steps are necessary
for every patient.The procedures required as part of your
individualized treatment plan, and the order in which they will
occur, will be explained during your consultation visit.
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BeforeTreatment
CT Simulation
A CT scan is needed prior to beginning CyberKnife treatment. Even if you recently had
a CT scan as part of your diagnosis, a new one will be needed in order for the
radiation oncologist and physicist to develop your customized treatment plan. Some
patients may need a soft mesh mask or body cradle molded from a lightweight
material that helps in the CyberKnife treatment process.The fitting is painless and is
completed as part of the CT scan process.
MR Imaging
Sometimes special imaging procedures, such as an MRI, are needed in addition to the
CT Scan.Your radiation oncologist will write specific directions on areas of your body
that need to be imaged.The radiation oncologist also determines whether this
procedure requires contrast material, a special dye put in your body that helps the
radiologist locate the treatment area on your radiology films. Contrast material is
available in IV and oral forms.
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BeforeTreatment
Laboratory Studies
The MRI procedure may require contrast material. If you need an MRI with contrast,
we need to determine whether your kidneys can flush the dye out of your body.Your
physician will order what’s known as a “BUN” and a creatinine blood test.The test
results determine whether your kidneys can handle the dye on their own or if you
need IV fluids to help flush out the dye.
Tissue Markers
Depending on your individual case, you may need small tissue markers known as
fiducials implanted in or near the tumor site. Fiducials help the CyberKnife system
precisely target the treatment area.A physician implants the fiducials in or near the
tumor site in a brief outpatient procedure.We will schedule this procedure and
provide instructions for preparation. If needed, fiducial placement takes place prior to
the CT scan.
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DuringTreatment
Patients are asked to wear comfortable clothing during CyberKnife treatments. Jewelry is
acceptable unless it is close to the area being treated. For example, we ask that earrings
and necklaces be removed prior to treatment of tumors within the head and neck.
A technician will help you onto the treatment table and ﬁt the mask or body mold if
needed. Patients are observed throughout the treatment on closed-circuit television, and
they can pause treatment at any time by waving or speaking to the technicians.
There’s no sedation or anesthesia required. Sometimes patients take naps during their
procedures. Feel free to bring an iPod® or your favorite music CDs with you on the day
of your treatment, and we will play them for you during the procedure.
While the CyberKnife’s advanced tracking system accounts for movements like
breathing, you’re asked to lie still during treatment.The system periodically takes X-ray
images and compares them to the CT scan data to make sure the radiation beam is
locked on the tumor.Treatment procedures usually take 30 to 90 minutes, depending on
the complexity of your tumor.
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AfterTreatment
Recovery from a CyberKnife procedure is often immediate,
given both the low risk of complications and the lack of
damage to healthy tissue. In most cases, you will be able to
return to your normal activities immediately following the
procedure.
After completing your CyberKnife treatment, we’ll need to see
you for follow-up imaging and physician consultation to
monitor your tumor’s progress.You will have an individualized
plan for follow up that will be coordinated by the CyberKnife
nurse in collaboration with the physicians involved in your
care.
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PatientTestimonial
“When I was first diagnosed, I had no symptoms whatsoever — just some
elevated PSA levels, which triggered the need for a biopsy. It was a shock to me
after I saw the results of my biopsy. I thought,‘That can’t be me.’ But it was. I had
prostate cancer.After my diagnosis, I checked into different treatment methods. I
was told that my type of prostate cancer was growing slowly, and that I had time
to make a decision. I subscribed to Johns Hopkins’ white papers. I called Mayo
Clinic.There were lots of options available.And I looked at all of them. Searching
for the right solution. During this time, I felt like everybody out there was trying
to sell me on something. But I kept doing my research, hoping that I could find
something that would fit my lifestyle. My doctor said that CyberKnife would do
the job and let me live the life that I wanted to lead.
Fortunately for me, Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare has CyberKnife radiosurgery.
CyberKnife fit the bill, and let me be me. I chose CyberKnife because it called for
four to five treatments with minimal side effects, and then I could be done. I
believed that it would affect me in a minimal way: it was good enough to work,
but not bad enough to affect other parts of me. My doctor signed me up.The
technicians were great.They were friendly and nice.They put on Frank Sinatra
music for me, so I was a happy camper. I felt totally comfortable. I didn’t have to
go through the pain of surgery and recoup time — or the side effects of surgery.
It was so painless, I kept asking,‘Is this thing on?’ I maintained all of my activities
throughout the whole thing. I still worked, I still drove, I still babysat kids — and I
still chased after them. I had all five treatments, and I feel great.The only thing that
I couldn’t do was play softball because the season was over. But if I had a game, I
would have been able to play it, no problem.”
Larry D.
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Our Center
CyberKnife Center of Chicago opened in August 2009 as a service of
Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare. Our center is part of the hospital’s
radiation oncology department, which is accredited by the American
College of Radiology. Our state-of-the-art CyberKnife technology can
offer hope to patients in the Chicago suburbs and beyond.CyberKnife
Center of
Our center has a dedicated CyberKnife Nurse Navigator who works with
our physicians and patients to coordinate care and manage the treatment
process.We know that any diagnosis is a scary one, and we’re here to
make your experience as easy as possible.We encourage you to call us
anytime with questions or concerns.
Medical Director: Dr. Andy W. Su
CyberKnife Nurse: Griselle Romero, RN
Connect With Us!
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Patient Guide to CyberKnife® Treatment

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