Study Led by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center To Evaluate Surgery vs. CyberKnife Radiosurgery
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (PRWEB) December 15, 2008 -- CyberKnife Center of Palm Beach, http://www.cyberknifepalmbeach.com, announced today that the first patient has been enrolled in the landmark study comparing traditional surgery and CyberKnife® radiosurgery treatment outcomes in early stage operable and resectable lung cancer.
The randomized, prospective clinical study, led by University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, will evaluate the potential for radiosurgery as a non-invasive treatment alternative for operable lung cancer patients.
According to Dr. James G. Schwade, Executive Director of CyberKnife Center of Palm Beach and CyberKnife Center of Miami, "we are excited to share in evaluating, through this worldwide study, the effectiveness of the CyberKnife for treating lung cancer versus conventional surgery. The image-guided robotic radiosurgery centers in Palm Beach and Miami were the first with this technology in the Southeastern U.S., having opened in 2003.
The CyberKnife allows patients to receive a non-invasive treatment in three to four outpatient visits, during which the patient lies comfortably and breathes normally. By eliminating the invasiveness of the procedure and ensuring pinpoint accuracy, patients can expect fewer complications than with an invasive surgical procedure, or other techniques of irradiation.
Though traditional surgery is the standard of care in the treatment of lung tumors, evidence over the past several years has shown excellent outcomes using high-dose precise irradiation delivered in three or four treatments. To date studies of operable patients treated using these short courses have demonstrated results similar to those of traditional surgery, including comparable survival and local control rates. Data comparing the outcomes of surgery to less-invasive treatment options, such as radiosurgery, are important to support clinical adoption of less-invasive alternatives and potentially shift the treatment paradigm.
In order for the study to be successful it is important that the radiosurgical treatment method be extremely accurate to ensure that the maximum radiation dose reaches the tumor and that nearby healthy tissue is spared. For this reason Accuray's CyberKnife System, which features continual image guidance and real-time tumor tracking, has been selected as the sole method for comparison. The CyberKnife System continually tracks the tumor throughout the treatment to maximize targeting accuracy and minimize damage to surrounding tissue and critical structures.
Sites from around the world will participate in this 1,200-patient study, with coordination and oversight by the M. D. Anderson team. The goal of the study is to compare treatment outcomes between surgery and CyberKnife radiosurgery across a broad range of geographic healthcare markets.
M. D. Anderson is currently ranked number one nationwide in cancer care, according to the U.S. News & World Report's 2007 America's Best Hospitals report.
The CyberKnife Centers of Palm Beach and Miami are free-standing outpatient facilities that provide for the treatment of lung brain, neck, prostate, liver and spinal cancers as well as others. Originated at the Cyberknife Center of Miami in 2003, the open center model utilizes community based physician groups from throughout the South Florida area, in order to provide access to the high tech treatment to a broad number of cancer patients.
Dr. Schwade is an internationally recognized Radiation Oncologist, who has practiced for over 27 years in Miami, Florida, where he holds the ranks of Clinical Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami, and Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Florida International University. He is currently Executive Director of the CyberKnife Center of Miami and the Cyberknife Center of Palm Beach. For more information on CyberKnife Centers of Palm Beach and Miami, visit http://www.morsecyberknife.com, or call 305-279-2900 in Miami or 561-799-2828 in Palm Beach.
Media Contact:
Susan Nefzger
561-632-9525
www.susannefzgerpr.com
Press release distribution by SEO Company Dallas - 1VIZABILITY, LLC
###
Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/Q3Jhcy1TdW1tLUluc2UtSG9yci1aZXRhLVNpbmctWmVybw==
|
