Cyber Knife vs traditiona radiation

Trebor · New User Joined: 08 Feb 2010 Posts: 1

Hello, My wife has stage 4 breast cancer that has gone to her lower spine. We are looking at traditional radiation vs Cyber knife. I cannot find anything using the seaerch function. Does anyone know where I can read peoples feedback regarding the Cyber knife and traditional radiation?
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Robert Martinez

brainman

Hi Robert. I am very sorry about your wife's advanced cancer. I do not know of a source to refer you to but know that you will or should get a lot of replies here. Others have asked the same question already. Have you used our search function yet?

I can give you what I know. Usually, radiation of any kind is not given to people with any metastatic cancer except for palliative care reasons. I would assume that is why they are suggesting it to your wife.

The problem with radiation is that it does not just destroy the cancer; it also affects other, healthy tissues. If they irradiate her lower spine, the radiation will affect her bowels, kidneys, liver, reproductive organs.... This does not mean that she will have problems in the future; it just means that she has a higher likelihood that if she did nothing.

Targeted radiation or Stereotactic modalities like Cyber Knife are significantly better in minimizing this "collateral damage." It aims lower levels of radiation from several different direction. The only place(s) that receive a full dose is where the beams cross. Other organs still get some radiation but it is at a significantly lower leave. I had it to my brain in 2005-2006. I opted for it rather than whole brain radiation for this very reason.

There is some very significant limitations to Stereotactic Radiation. I can think of two:

Size of the Tumor. The tumor cannot exceed a certain limit in terms of size. I am not sure what that limit is; I just know that there is one. For palliative care, they still might use it because they are just wanting to get some level of control and pain relief from it so that it really does not matter that much if they get it all.
Number of Tumors. It is not practical to irradiate more than one tumor. They might do it anyhow but that is a consideration and they usually do not recommend it.

As I said, I hope others will also reply and can fill in what I do not know or remember.

You and your wife are in my thoughts and prayers.
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Jim
Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
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