Cyberknife For Prostate Cancer: Everything You Need to Know

The world of medicine is ever-evolving and thanks to the great advancements in technology, the two can work together in treating and preventing both minor and life threatening illnesses. Despite the achievements, not all illnesses can be cured so easily and with cancer being the biggest cause of death worldwide and for 1 in 3 Americans alone, there is still much to learn. Fortunately, there are treatments available for most and with prostate cancer in particular, CyberKnife could be the new standard for radiotherapy

What Is CyberKnife?

CyberKnife is a non-invasive, non-surgical, and pain free treatment option for prostate cancer patients. It is the first and only of its kind; a radiation therapy device that can detect, track, and correct tumors in real-time. The robotics are precise enough to deliver sub-millimeter radiation with incredible accuracy to minimize any side effects and preserve the patient's quality of life after each session. With decades of research and clinical evidence to support it, CyberKnife has already helped save the lives of thousands of men diagnosed with prostate cancer.

How Does CyberKnife Work?

Because the prostate can move around as much as half an inch due to normal bodily functions, it can be difficult to deliver radiation directly to the affected area using normal radiotherapy instruments without risking damage to surrounding tissue. CyberKnife, however, has the ability to continuously track the prostate gland and adapt to its movements while it delivers the radiation in sync, maximizing its effectiveness and limiting harm to healthy tissue, thus lowering side effects. Sessions last between 30 to 90 minutes, with the patient comfortably lying down on a table as the machine rotates, scans, and treats the tumor.

Due to its incredible accuracy, a patient might only need four to five sessions in only a single week to be treated with CyberKnife compared to conventional radiation therapy devices. This is because unlike CyberKnife, other radiotherapy machines do not adjust to prostate movement and instead target the general area where the prostate is located, overlapping other healthy tissue and organs and exposing them to the same dose of radiation, causing them harm. This means that a patient will likely need around 45 sessions over nine weeks of treatment due to a much lower dosage of radiation used in order to mitigate this issue.

In the event of a recurrence, CyberKnife is still a safe option for patients who have received treatment from it before as well as those who have previously received radiation therapy. It also allows patients to be candidates for surgical interventions should radiation not be a viable option anymore.

How Does it Compare to Other Treatment Options?

CyberKnife is non-invasive and does not require hospitalization or even any anesthesia for treatment. After sessions, most patients are able to continue the day without long recovery times, feeling only slight fatigue for just a couple hours after a session, and often without any major interruptions to their routines. With conventional radiation therapy, patients can frequently experience negative side effects that might disrupt their quality of life as sessions can proceed upwards to three months. CyberKnife for prostate cancer is also non-surgical and painless, so there is no need for incisions and no risk of complications that might accompany a surgical procedure such as infections.

Is It Clinically Backed?

The CyberKnife System is the only radiotherapy device backed by two decades worth of clinical proof. It has been clinically proven to be an effective tool for treating low to intermediate-risk prostate cancer. More than 20,000 men have already been treated with amazing efficacy, and an overwhelmingly positive 99% of patients say they would use CyberKnife treatment again if they had to. Additionally, 93% of patients reported they did not experience interruptions to their normal lifestyle, and 98% of patients said they would recommend CyberKnife treatment to others.

How Can You Receive Treatment?

If you live in an area where CyberKnife treatments are available, you may become an eligible candidate for prostate cancer treatment. It is also covered by most insurance providers, the same as conventional radiation therapy might be. Be sure to discuss treatment options with your doctor to see what option is best for you. As CyberKnife for prostate cancer becomes more accessible, it also helps in radiotherapy treatment for other cancers and benign tumors including liver, lung, pancreatic, and even brain cancer, making it a true revolutionary staple in the industry.

Although there is no way to prevent prostate cancer, there are many things you can do now to lower your chances of developing it later on in life. Getting screened for prostate cancer regularly at your doctor's discretion is the best way to prevent the spread and detect early signs of it in the body. By doing so, your chances of survival are very high and will benefit your overall health as you get older. It’s also important to remember that prostate health is of utmost importance, and aside from living a healthy lifestyle, there are other ways to support prostate health. When you are ready to take your prostate health to the next level, Prost-P10x can help. This urologist-formulated natural prostate and urinary health support supplement is packed with antioxidants and natural ingredients that promote normal prostate and urinary function.