When it comes to fighting cancer, there is more than one treatment option. In fact, there are many types of treatment, and advances in cancer treatment are happening every day.
The types of treatment that you have will depend on the type of cancer you have and how advanced it is. Some people with cancer will have only one treatment, but most people have a combination of treatments, such as surgery with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. You may also have immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or hormone therapy.
At Oklahoma CyberKnife, we use radiation therapy in the fight against cancer. Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) is a cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation is energy that is carried by waves or a stream of particles and it works by damaging the genes (DNA) in cells. Genes control how cells grow and divide, and when radiation damages the genes of cancer cells, they cannot grow and divide anymore. Over time, the cancerous cells die.
At our center, we treat early-stage, recurring, and advanced cancer with radiation therapy using the CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System. CyberKnife is a non-invasive outpatient cancer treatment where hundreds of highly concentrated are targeted directly to tumors or lesions. The beams of radiation are incredibly precise, meaning that healthy tissue is protected from radiation and only the tumor is treated.
In addition to the treatments being non-surgical and pain-free, there are several additional benefits to radiation therapy, such as minimal side effects, little to no recovery time, immediate return to daily activities, etc. Radiation therapy may also be an option for patients who have medically inoperable tumors or a high risk of developing complications after surgery.
For more information on treating cancer with radiation therapy, or to set up a consult with one of our experienced and knowledgeable radiation oncologists, please contact our center.