CyberKnife®: treating prostate cancer in 5 vs. 40 treatments.
CyberKnife® radiation treatment is unlike conventional prostate radiation therapy.
Unlike conventional prostate radiation therapy that can take up to 40 sessions to treat prostate cancer, CyberKnife® is complete after only five treatments. With CyberKnife, we destroy tumors using highly precise, targeted radiation, with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Our multidisciplinary prostate cancer team at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. includes recognized leaders in urology, robotic surgery, CyberKnife radiation medicine, and oncology.
A second opinion for your cancer diagnosis could save your life.
A second opinion can confirm your initial diagnosis and assure you that you’re receiving the most up-to-date information about your cancer type and stage. In other cases, a second opinion can reveal additional treatment options that may not be available elsewhere.
It’s never too late for a second opinion.
We're a leader in innovative and compassionate patient care.
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital—the first hospital on the East Coast to offer the CyberKnife technology—is among the world’s most experienced CyberKnife sites having treated more than 2,000 patients with prostate cancer.
Together, they assure that every patient is evaluated for the most appropriate treatment plan and cared for as an individual.
Through our research engine, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Washington, D.C., region, we offer access to clinical trials and the latest breakthroughs in cancer care.
At a glance
Leader in innovation and compassion
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1st
Hospital on the East Coast to offer
CyberKnife technology -
2,400 +
Patients have been treated with
prostate cancer -
35,000+
Our experts have administered more
than 35,000 CyberKnife treaments -
5 vs. 40
Treats prostate cancer in only
5 treatments -
1,400
CyberKnife can target more than 1,400 angles with a faster and more accurate approach
With CyberKnife® radiation therapy, David didn’t let prostate cancer slow him down. Unlike conventional prostate radiation therapy that can take up to 40 sessions, CyberKnife treats prostate cancer in only 5 treatments and requires virtually no recovery time.
Are you a candidate for CyberKnife treatment?
Most people are candidates for CyberKnife, but it is an especially good option if any of these apply to you:
- Have early-stage, localized tumors (i.e., confined to the prostate).
- Have a lesion or tumor that is untreatable by surgery or other radiation modalities.
- Have previously undergone radiation treatments.
- Are elderly or otherwise in compromised health.
- Have inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome or colitis.
- Are on blood thinners.
Each treatment lasts about an hour. Patients are usually able to resume their normal activities almost immediately after each session. Follow-up consists of regularly scheduled PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests and monitoring.
If CyberKnife treatment is not right for you, all available radiation therapies, including proton therapy, are offered here at MedStar Georgetown.
Hear from our patients.
CyberKnife patient, David Viglione didn't let prostate cancer treatment slow him down.
Why does David Viglione of Leesburg, Virginia, call himself “the poster child” of CyberKnife® therapy? Credit the long-term success of his CyberKnife treatment for prostate cancer—a decade later he is still cancer free. When he was first diagnosed, David was working full-time and living an active life filled with travel, racquetball, golf, and quality time with his family. Fast forward to today, and David is still enjoying that same vibrant lifestyle.
“When I found out I had prostate cancer, I decided my best course of action was to get smarter before making a decision,” David says. He discovered that there were several good options to address the cancer, but he was concerned about their potential long-term side effects, and how that would impact his active lifestyle. Then, after learning more about the CyberKnife Prostate program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, David felt hopeful.
Living with vigor after CyberKnife prostate cancer treatment.
“Mr. Englert, you have cancer.” In 2015, Tony Englert was stunned to hear “the words you don’t expect to hear in your lifetime.” After all, Tony was 67, healthy, an avid runner and golfer, and still managing a high-profile executive career. Most important, Tony had not experienced any prostate cancer symptoms, such as urinary retention or bone pain.
Many men with prostate cancer never notice symptoms at all. For Tony, the red flags were slightly elevated PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels detected over a few years during his routine annual physicals. Tony underwent a biopsy at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and it confirmed intermediate-grade cancer. Upon receiving the news, Tony decided he “didn’t want to sit around the house that day.” So, he went to the gym. “It took me two days to say that I had CANCER,” he says.
Cancer free after only five CyberKnife treatments versus the 40 needed with traditional radiation.
Don Besom of Bethesda, Maryland, starts every morning working out or canoeing with his wife of 67 years, Katherine. This regimen would be impressive for a person of any age, but Don is 87—and a prostate cancer survivor, thanks to his CyberKnife® treatments at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. The procedure allowed Don to quickly resume his active lifestyle after receiving only five treatments, versus the 40 required with conventional radiation.
Meet our prostate cancer team.
Gaurav Bandi, MD
Urologist
Nancy Dawson, MD
Hematology/Oncology
Ryan Hankins, MD
Urologist
Keith Kowalczyk, MD
Urologist
Paul Denis Leger, MD, MPH
Genitourinary Medical Oncology
Keith Unger, MD
Radiation Oncology
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Cancer Team
Gaurav Bandi, MD
UrologistNancy Dawson, MD
Hematology/OncologyRyan Hankins, MD
UrologistKeith Kowalczyk, MD
Urologist
Located in Washington D.C.
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
3800 Reservoir Rd., NW
Washington DC, 20007
Hours of operation: Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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Frequently asked questions about CyberKnife for prostate cancer.
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What are the benefits of CyberKnife treatment for prostate cancer?
Not only can CyberKnife target tumors that were previously considered unreachable or inoperable, the sophisticated system is a great advancement in patient ease and comfort, offering the following advantages:
- Minimal pain: Because the procedure is a nonsurgical approach, there is no anesthesia, incision, blood loss or recovery time.
- Only five treatments: Not the 40 needed with other forms of radiation therapy.
- No overnight hospitalization: An outpatient treatment, CyberKnife usually allows you to return home the same day.
- Faster and more accurate: Approaching its target from more than 1,400 angles, CyberKnife can deliver high doses of radiation to tumors while avoiding surrounding, healthy tissue.
- Quick recovery times: Get back to your normal life almost immediately, unlike the two-to-four-week recovery period that can be expected following traditional prostate surgery, such as prostatectomy (prostate removal).
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Is CyberKnife suitable for all patients with cancer?
While CyberKnife can be an effective treatment option for many patients, it may not be suitable for everyone. Your radiation oncologist will assess your specific condition and determine if CyberKnife is appropriate for you.
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Is CyberKnife surgery?
No, CyberKnife is not surgery. It is a non-invasive procedure that does not require incisions, anesthesia, or hospitalization.
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How does CyberKnife work?
The non-surgical CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System destroys tumors using highly precise, targeted radiation, with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Unlike conventional prostate radiation therapy that can take up to 40 sessions, CyberKnife, also known as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), is complete after only five treatments.
CyberKnife uses a combination of robotics, image guidance systems and computers to deliver highly concentrated doses of radiation to the prostate while protecting surrounding healthy tissue. CyberKnife is the only stereotactic robotic radiosurgery system on the market that adjusts for patient or tumor movement during treatment (intrafraction motion), making it especially suitable for the prostate and convenient for you.- CyberKnife treatment begins with the implantation in the prostate of four tiny gold fiducials that act as markers or targets for the system’s missile-like rays.
- Afterward, a team of experienced physicians uses MRIs, CT scans and three-dimensional technology to pinpoint the location of your cancer and adjacent critical structures to create a treatment plan.
- A week or two later, you will return for five days of therapy over one to two weeks, with each treatment lasting about 30 minutes.
- You are usually able to resume your normal activities almost immediately.
- Follow-up consists of regularly scheduled PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests and monitoring
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Does CyberKnife treatment result in positive outcomes?
Recent research has proven that higher doses of radiation decrease the chance of prostate cancer recurring. CyberKnife’s laser-like accuracy can deliver those highly concentrated doses while avoiding nearby healthy tissue, including such critical structures as the bladder and rectum leading to fewer side effects.
Other studies—including national, multi-institutional protocols, many conducted at MedStar Health—indicate that CyberKnife is as effective as other radiation therapies for treating low-and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients. Another study shows that CyberKnife produces quality-of-life outcomes equivalent to or better than IMRT or seed therapy. As an added benefit, CyberKnife treatment is completed within only five visits.