CYBERKNIFE

LOUSWIFT
LOUSWIFT Member Posts: 371 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

I just found out about a procedure called cyberknife and it performed locally. My Oncology surgeon says the tumor could not be removed because the risk was too high that I would bleed out due to the chemo induced cirrhosis my lier tends to let me bleed. He stopped because he though the risk was too high to continue. I believe the tumor is attached to one or more organs possibly by gall bladder and more. The tumor is abut 3 1/2 centimeters and he says there are several what he believes to be small cancers on my liver too small for a pet scan to pick up. If anyone has had cyberknife experience I would appricate hearing from you. Obviously it is the larger tumor which is my concern. Did medicare pay for the procedure? Thanks Lou

Comments

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,796 Member
    #2
    Good luck!

    I know I have seen others post about having Cyberknife. Was it Jeff? He's in surgery today, but he will be back soon. It could have been one of the other men. I'm sure it was one of our male forum members. 

    I hope this is an option for you. 

    Praying!

    Sue - Trubrit

  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #3
    Trubrit said:

    Good luck!

    I know I have seen others post about having Cyberknife. Was it Jeff? He's in surgery today, but he will be back soon. It could have been one of the other men. I'm sure it was one of our male forum members. 

    I hope this is an option for you. 

    Praying!

    Sue - Trubrit

    Search cyberknife, top right

    Search cyberknife, top right of this screen.  also YouTube, cyberknife stanford.  

  • Fight for my love
    Fight for my love Member Posts: 1,522 Member
    #4
    I felt people who were in

    I felt people who were in worse places got options for treatments, although I don't exactly know what options are there. Can you explore a second opinion? Best luck.

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #5
    Sorry

    Sorry to hear about your new diagnosis but I'm sure someone will have some answers to you about this procedure.  I'm not able to help with this, but I'm hoping that all will turn around in your favor.  A lot have had this done so this might be something they could give you insite too.

    Kim

  • mukamom
    mukamom Member Posts: 402
    #6
    Annabelle41415 said:

    Sorry

    Sorry to hear about your new diagnosis but I'm sure someone will have some answers to you about this procedure.  I'm not able to help with this, but I'm hoping that all will turn around in your favor.  A lot have had this done so this might be something they could give you insite too.

    Kim

    My husband

    had cyberknife back in 10/2010 on a liver tumor that was up against his diaphraghm (sp?).  They did a CT guided proceedure to place gold markers around the tumor so the radiation beam could keep on the tumor while you were breathing.

    The cyberknife itself was done in three treatments; about an hour or so long. You are fit into a body mold to keep you from moving around and the give you a headset for music or you could bring your own.

     

    No side effects except for some fatigue and it killed that tumor.

     

    Blue Cross Blue Shield did not want to pay for it and it took a letter from his surgeon to get an approval.  I don't know if medicare will pay since this type of radiation is usually used for brain tumors.

     

    Good luck and sending hugs

     

    Angela

  • biglaur
    biglaur Member Posts: 72 Member
    #7
    I had Cyberknife Radiation

    Diagnosed Stage IV in '08...with 2 mets (one in liver one in lung).  Orignial diagnosis was in '06 but think radiologist missed the mets Frown Anyway...I hated colon resection surgery so much that when faced with more surgery I looked around for an alternative.  Met a GREAT radio-oncologist Arno Mundt at UCSD Moore's Cancer Center.  He took one look and said "I can get rid of those"!!!  Sounded good to me.  So, I took a 5 week break between rounds 5 and 6 of Chemo, stopped my clinical trial drug and went for radiation.  It's a very involved process to get started, tatoos for alignment, body forms for the radiation machine created...but in the long run, MUCH easier than surgery.  I had frozen shoulder at the time so was in quite a bit of discomfort during the zaps...otherwise it would have been easy.  I had 6 zaps to the liver, 3 zaps to the lung. By zaps, I mean I was in the machine for 1/2 hour 45 minutes while it revolved around me zapping from angles almost 360 degrees (9 different times).  Lying still was tough...but they gave me really cool glasses to wear to regulate my breathing (I watched my respiration and maintained it evenly so the machine could zap as I exhaled).  At least that kept my mind off how much my shoulder hurt. I did all this every other day...NO side effects at all.  My last zap was on a Wednesday....my daughter's wedding was the following Saturday and I felt great. Started chemo again that next Monday.  Only scary thing was that everything near the mets showed up on my next couple of scans as increased growth...freaked everyone out (except Dr. Mundt...he'd predicted it)  Seems there's quite a lot of inflammation around the zap sites for several months. It's now 6 years later and I'm still NED...I'd do it again.

     

    Laurie

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,796 Member
    #8
    biglaur said:

    I had Cyberknife Radiation

    Diagnosed Stage IV in '08...with 2 mets (one in liver one in lung).  Orignial diagnosis was in '06 but think radiologist missed the mets Frown Anyway...I hated colon resection surgery so much that when faced with more surgery I looked around for an alternative.  Met a GREAT radio-oncologist Arno Mundt at UCSD Moore's Cancer Center.  He took one look and said "I can get rid of those"!!!  Sounded good to me.  So, I took a 5 week break between rounds 5 and 6 of Chemo, stopped my clinical trial drug and went for radiation.  It's a very involved process to get started, tatoos for alignment, body forms for the radiation machine created...but in the long run, MUCH easier than surgery.  I had frozen shoulder at the time so was in quite a bit of discomfort during the zaps...otherwise it would have been easy.  I had 6 zaps to the liver, 3 zaps to the lung. By zaps, I mean I was in the machine for 1/2 hour 45 minutes while it revolved around me zapping from angles almost 360 degrees (9 different times).  Lying still was tough...but they gave me really cool glasses to wear to regulate my breathing (I watched my respiration and maintained it evenly so the machine could zap as I exhaled).  At least that kept my mind off how much my shoulder hurt. I did all this every other day...NO side effects at all.  My last zap was on a Wednesday....my daughter's wedding was the following Saturday and I felt great. Started chemo again that next Monday.  Only scary thing was that everything near the mets showed up on my next couple of scans as increased growth...freaked everyone out (except Dr. Mundt...he'd predicted it)  Seems there's quite a lot of inflammation around the zap sites for several months. It's now 6 years later and I'm still NED...I'd do it again.

     

    Laurie

    Love you story Love your survival

    Great post, and its good to see you here. Congrats on 6 years NED. You're a wonderful example of what can be. 

    Sue - Trubrit

  • z
    z Member Posts: 1,414 Member
    #9
    biglaur said:

    I had Cyberknife Radiation

    Diagnosed Stage IV in '08...with 2 mets (one in liver one in lung).  Orignial diagnosis was in '06 but think radiologist missed the mets Frown Anyway...I hated colon resection surgery so much that when faced with more surgery I looked around for an alternative.  Met a GREAT radio-oncologist Arno Mundt at UCSD Moore's Cancer Center.  He took one look and said "I can get rid of those"!!!  Sounded good to me.  So, I took a 5 week break between rounds 5 and 6 of Chemo, stopped my clinical trial drug and went for radiation.  It's a very involved process to get started, tatoos for alignment, body forms for the radiation machine created...but in the long run, MUCH easier than surgery.  I had frozen shoulder at the time so was in quite a bit of discomfort during the zaps...otherwise it would have been easy.  I had 6 zaps to the liver, 3 zaps to the lung. By zaps, I mean I was in the machine for 1/2 hour 45 minutes while it revolved around me zapping from angles almost 360 degrees (9 different times).  Lying still was tough...but they gave me really cool glasses to wear to regulate my breathing (I watched my respiration and maintained it evenly so the machine could zap as I exhaled).  At least that kept my mind off how much my shoulder hurt. I did all this every other day...NO side effects at all.  My last zap was on a Wednesday....my daughter's wedding was the following Saturday and I felt great. Started chemo again that next Monday.  Only scary thing was that everything near the mets showed up on my next couple of scans as increased growth...freaked everyone out (except Dr. Mundt...he'd predicted it)  Seems there's quite a lot of inflammation around the zap sites for several months. It's now 6 years later and I'm still NED...I'd do it again.

     

    Laurie

    Laurie

    This is really good information and thank you for sharing.  Congratulations on your 6 years NED, that is wonderful and it gives everyone hope.  Smile

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