Columbus CyberKnife Treats 1,000 Patients and Recognizes Four Years of Service

We recently reached an important milestone with the treatment of our 1,000th patient. Opened in June 2010 as a service of Mount Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital, our center marks four years of operation as the area’s only CyberKnife® treatment provider and one of only four in Ohio.

“This is a testament to our team’s specialized expertise in stereotactic radiosurgery and the use of advanced technologies like CyberKnife,” says Dr. Douglas Widman, Columbus CyberKnife medical director. “In addition to treating more than 1,000 patients, there have been recent industry updates in treatment guidelines specifically for prostate cancer patients that we hope will extend additional options like CyberKnife to patients facing a diagnosis and treatment decision.”

Prostate, lung and brain tumors are the most commonly treated diseases at our center. The number of prostate cancer patients we see is expected to increase after two recent announcements supporting stereotactic body radiation therapy as a treatment option for prostate cancer.

Earlier this year, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® released its 2014 Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology® which now include SBRT as a treatment option for prostate cancer. Read more about these updates here.

Additionally, the American College of Radiology recently updated its Appropriateness Criteria for early stage prostate cancer indicating that SBRT may help patients diagnosed with the disease.

“When seeking treatment for prostate cancer, men should educate themselves on the treatment options available for their diagnosis. For those who are candidates, SBRT is a nonsurgical alternative with few to no side effects. Some men, particularly those who work or travel regularly, are drawn to these benefits of CyberKnife SBRT,” Dr. Widman says.

CyberKnife technology, in use for more than 20 years in the cancer industry, treats tumors throughout the body with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Contact our center to learn if you or a loved one could be a candidate for CyberKnife treatment.

This is not intended as medical advice to replace the expertise and judgment of your health care team. It is intended to help you and your family make informed decisions, together with your doctor.