CyberKnife Patient Support Group

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Donald B. Fuller, M.D.
Registered Member

Date Joined Jun 2006
Total Posts : 281

Posted 11/11/2006 1:23 PM (GMT -8)

"Many doctors don't want to give you hope when they find a tumor in your lung that is cancerous"

The reason for the often pessimistic prognosis is that most lung cancer patients are still diagnosed at an advanced stage, meaning their disease has metastasized. For the early stage cases though, the prognosis actually appears quite good.

Hot off the press from the New England Journal of Medicine:
10 year survival for CT-screening identified (early stage) lung cancer cases: 88%

Small lung cancers that are "accidentally found" on a routine chest X-ray have a similar favorable prognosis.

As the other MDs have stated, surgery is still the standard treatment, but if that option is not available for whatever reason, CyberKnife appears to represent a very effective alternative (with quite a bit less documantation, due to it's "newness," which is why it has still not displaced surgery).

Donald B. Fuller, MD
Radiation Oncologist
San Diego CyberKnife Center
5395 Ruffin Rd
Suite 103
San Diego, CA
92123
858-505-4100
www.sdcyberknife.com

Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Medical Group
2466 First Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
619-230-0400
www.rmgmed.com

Jerome J. Spunberg, M.D.
Registered Member

Date Joined Feb 2006
Total Posts : 4214

Posted 11/11/2006 5:36 AM (GMT -8)

But they are usually young in spirit or at heart and live very active lifestyles. In fact, few people work down here except for me.

Jerome J. Spunberg, M.D., FACR, FACRO
Cyberknife Center Of Palm Beach
jspunberg@radiationoncologyinstitute.com
(561) 799-2828

Radiation Oncology Institute
10335 N. Military Trail, Suite C
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
(561) 624-1717

Jerome J. Spunberg, M.D.
Registered Member

Date Joined Feb 2006
Total Posts : 4214

Posted 11/11/2006 5:35 AM (GMT -8)

We don't exactly have a young population in Florida either.

radsrus
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2004
Total Posts : 7510

Posted 11/11/2006 3:26 AM (GMT -8)

Most of our lung patients are fall chickens. We are beginning an exhaustive review of our data, but at this time it looks like the local progression rate is about 11%.

Clinton A. Medbery, III, M.D.
St. Anthony Hospital Cyberknife Center
(405) 272-7311
buddy@swrads.org or cmedbery@coxinet.net

Clinton A. Medbery, III, M.D.
Southwest Radiation Oncology
1011 N. Dewey Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK 73102

uptospeed
Registered Member

Date Joined Nov 2006
Total Posts : 1

Posted 11/10/2006 10:04 PM (GMT -8)

Hello, I just read your post and wanted to respond. I am 81 year young and found out 7 months ago that I had a 2.5 to 3 cm tumor in my right lung. I have had no symptoms and found out accidently when I went to emergency for pain in my knee. They took all kinds of xrays and blood and sure enough there it was. After I got over the intial shock I looked into my options. Many doctors don't want to give you hope when they find a tumor in your lung that is cancerous. I have used alternative medicine for the last 40 years. I opted out of having a partial lung removal, my son check around and found out about Radio Frequency Ablasion and Cyberknife. I had my first appt little over 2 months ago and they felt I was a candadate for Cyberknife. Today 11/10/06 was my third of three outpatient treatments at Stanford University Hospital in Palo Alto, CA. I feel well and although it was touch lying there for 2 hours I managed to get through it, and besides it beats having invasive surgury. I will be seeing my Dr in 2 months to find out what the tumor is doing. My comment to you would be to do what feels right for you. Listen were not spring chickens like we once were and if your anything like me you'll try the least painful procedure for peace of mind.

radsrus
Registered Member

Date Joined Jul 2004
Total Posts : 7510

Posted 9/21/2006 3:25 AM (GMT -8)

You would probably need to be off the coumadin for a few days for seed placement, but we have not seen problems with that. A I have mentioned in these forums before, surgery is still considered the standard treatment when it can be done with reasonable safety, but at this time the data for radiosurgery looks comparable, and I really don't think you give up anything by having it.

Jerome J. Spunberg, M.D.
Registered Member

Date Joined Feb 2006
Total Posts : 4214

Posted 9/20/2006 7:12 PM (GMT -8)

If you are a surgical candidate, then surgery is still the treatment of choice with the best established record for long-term local control and cure. If not, or if you refuse surgery, then CK would be an excellent alternative for you. First have a PET scan if you have not already had one to make sure that there are no other areas of involvement. Then you could proceed but would first need to have fiducial markers (gold seeds) placed in the tumor to allow for tracking with image guidance. The treatment itself would most likely be 3 sessions over 3-5 days.

hillsboro
Registered Member

Date Joined Sep 2006
Total Posts : 1

Posted 9/20/2006 6:32 PM (GMT -8)

[o] hello, i have a lung tumor about 3cm stage 1,right lower left lobe. thinking about cyberknife vs surgery as i have arteriosclerosis and am on coumadin for 2 episodes of dvt in my left leg, s/p left hip fracture 5 years ago and not considered a real good candidate for surgery. would like a reply from cyberknife patients,and of course most importantly from the doctors.i am 78 years young

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