When developing treatment plans for patients, our CyberKnife® team uses a multispecialty approach. Experts from various fields, including radiation oncology, medical oncology and surgery, are called on to participate in creating an individualized treatment plan for each patient. This coordinated care approach benefits patients by involving doctors with different perspectives who collaborate to decide on the best course of treatment for each patient.
A surgeon is often a member of the CyberKnife team. Though not directly involved during treatment, the surgeon plays a crucial role in developing a patient’s treatment plan. Surgeons provide input on the most appropriate method to treat a tumor with CyberKnife and identify important structures and anatomy nearby. Using this collaborative method, patients can receive multiple opinions on their diagnosis and important information about their proposed treatment in one visit.
In some cases, CyberKnife can be used as a secondary treatment following surgery. For difficult-to-reach tumors, a surgeon may remove part of the affected area and then turn to CyberKnife to complete treatment. This combined treatment method can minimize the risk of a tumor recurring and reduce radiation exposure to healthy surrounding tissue.
Dr. Robert Gewirtz serves as the neurosurgical medical director at Columbus CyberKnife. Watch his explanation of brain tumor treatment for CyberKnife below.