One Thousand Patients Treated at CyberKnife Center of Chicago
Elmhurst, IL (PRWEB) August 15, 2013 -- As CyberKnife Center of Chicago completes its fourth year of operations, the center also celebrates 1,000 patients treated using CyberKnife® technology, an advanced nonsurgical option for the treatment of malignant and benign tumors.
CyberKnife Center of Chicago opened in 2009 as a service of Elmhurst Memorial Health Care to offer a noninvasive cancer treatment method called stereotactic radiosurgery and has since become a destination for CyberKnife treatment throughout the Chicago area, with patients coming from as far as Indiana to receive treatment.
“Reaching this milestone in patient care is a celebration of not only the impact we’ve been able to make on the cancer community, but also the growth in stereotactic radiosurgery expertise our physician staff has earned,” said Dr. Andy Su, CyberKnife Center of Chicago medical director.
Lung, brain and spinal tumors have accounted for a majority of the center’s large case number. In recent years, CyberKnife Center of Chicago has seen a steady increase in the number of lung cancer patient referrals for those seeking or requesting an alternative to surgery, the disease’s standard form of treatment.
CyberKnife treatment involves no incisions, no sedation and no overnight hospital stay. Lung tumors are treated with very precise, high-dose radiation beams while radiation exposure to healthy tissue surrounding a tumor is minimized. Side effects, if any, are minimal, and patients return to normal activity immediately following treatment.
“Unlike other forms of stereotactic radiosurgery treatment, CyberKnife has the unique ability to track tumors in real time while compensating for normal patient movements, such as breathing,” Dr. Su said. “We treat tumors throughout the body within five or fewer sessions versus about 40 treatments typically required with conventional radiation therapy and with less recovery time than surgery requires.”
As the center moves into its fifth year of operation in Chicago’s western suburbs, it will soon find a new home at Elmhurst Memorial Health Care’s new Center for Cancer Care to be opened in fall 2013. Located on the hospital’s main campus at 155 E. Brush Hill Road, the 30,000-square-foot facility will also house medical oncologist offices, an infusion center and radiation oncology services. The new center will bring together all cancer treatment services and facilities, allowing patients to undergo testing, meet with their physician and receive treatment in the same place and possibly the same day.
“Moving to the new Center for Cancer Care will provide an opportunity to further develop the multidisciplinary approach we provide to cancer care,” Dr. Su said. “Having our CyberKnife center in the same location as other Elmhurst Memorial cancer specialists will help to ensure patients receive the best treatment options for their diagnosis in a timely manner.”
CyberKnife Center of Chicago is a service of Elmhurst Memorial Health Care and is currently located on the hospital’s Berteau Avenue campus in Elmhurst, Ill. Call (331) 221-2050 for more information.
Anne Dunlap, CyberKnife Center of Chicago, 331-221-2050, [email protected]
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