In the United States, nearly 40 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. And while cancer is, undeniably, a life-changing experience for both patients and their loved ones, more people than ever are surviving and living well with cancer as a chronic disease for years.
But to reach that point, you first need an accurate and timely diagnosis, along with the most effective treatment plan for your particular cancer and condition. And in about half of all cases, that plan will include some form of radiation therapy.
Radiation therapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses beams of intense energy to kill cancer cells. It’s been used safely and effectively for years, and boasts a wide variety of technologies and approaches tailored to specific types of tumors and locations. Now, recent advances in the field are making radiation treatment even faster, easier and better.
A case in point is the emergence and continuing evolution of stereotactic radiation surgery/stereotactic body radiation therapy (SRS/SBRT) over the last decade or so.
Speed, Comfort and Convenience
Basically, stereotactic radiation strives to equal or even exceed the results obtained through surgery but non-invasively. It can be used to reach cancerous and non-cancerous tumors just about anywhere in the body: head and neck, lung, pancreas, prostate, liver, spine and more. SRS/SBRT works by delivering a large dose of radiation, quickly, precisely and painlessly.
For example, a complete course of radiation therapy using conventional means takes anywhere from six to seven weeks. By contrast, that same course of therapy with the Edge™ Radiosurgery system—the SRS/SBRT technology we use at MedStar Washington Hospital Center—can be finished in one to five sessions, with each treatment lasting only 10 to 15 minutes. That’s a huge convenience for busy patients who can now spend less time lying motionless in position on the treatment table, and more time back doing their daily activities.
