CyberKnife Center of Chicago: Metastatic Cancer

METASTATIC CANCER & CYBERKNIFE®

A TREATMENT OPTION WHEN CANCER SPREADS

177 East Brush Hill Road, Elmhurst IL 60126 331-221-2050 ChicagoCK.com

Please note: We encourage consumers to thoroughly review and understand all treatment options. The information presented here is not all-inclusive. Rather, it represents a starting point to learn more about medical conditions and treatment options. This is not intended as a substitute for medical advice from your professional healthcare provider. Contact your professional healthcare provider to find out if CyberKnife® treatment is right for you. Sources: American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute


METASTATIC CANCER Metastatic cancer occurs when a primary cancer spreads to other parts of the body. This form of cancer has the same name and the same type of cancer cells as the primary cancer. For example, breast cancer that spreads to the lung and forms a metastatic tumor is considered metastatic breast cancer rather than lung cancer.

The most common sites of cancer metastasis are the bone, brain, liver, and lung.

Because metastatic cancer causes symptoms that are also common to other diseases, it is not unusual for metastatic cancer to be discovered by tests conducted for another condition.


HOW CANCER CELLS METASTASIZE

When cancer cells break away from a tumor, they can travel to other areas of the body through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system (which contains a collection of vessels that carry fluid and immune system cells).

Cancer cells have to go through several steps to spread to new parts of the body:

•  Have to be able to break away from the original tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymph system, which can carry them to another part of the body.

•  Need to attach to the wall of a blood or lymph vessel and move through it into a new organ.

•  Need to be able to grow and thrive in their new location.

•  Need to be able to avoid attacks from the body’s immune system.


TREATING METASTATIC CANCER Metastatic cancer may be treated with systemic therapy (chemotherapy, biological therapy, targeted therapy, hormonal therapy), local therapy (surgery, radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery), or a combination of these treatments.

The choice of treatment generally depends on several factors, including:

•  Type of primary cancer

•  Size, location, and number of metastatic tumors

•  Patient’s age and general health

•  Types of treatment the patient has had in the past or is currently undergoing


Stereotactic radiosurgery is a non-surgical option for treating metastatic cancer tumors and lesions. CyberKnife® delivers highly focused radiation with sub-millimeter accuracy to the metastatic tumor, minimizing exposure to healthy tissue.

Treatment is complete within five sessions depending on the individual diagnosis. The outpatient procedure does not require incisions or sedation. There is minimal to no recovery time with radiosurgery. CyberKnife capabilities include precise treatment of multiple metastatic lesions.

For patients receiving a different treatment method for their primary cancer, stereotactic radiosurgery can be used in combination to reduce side effects and overall treatment time.

METASTATIC CANCER & CYBERKNIFE


HOW CYBERKNIFE WORKS


METASTATIC CANCER CYBERKNIFE PATIENT TESTIMONIAL

!177 East Brush Hill Road, Elmhurst IL 60126 331-221-2050 ChicagoCK.com

OUR CENTER CyberKnife Center of Chicago opened in August 2009 as a service of Elmhurst Memorial Hospital. Our center is a part of the Nancy W. Knowles Cancer Center at Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare, offering hope to patients in the Chicago suburbs and beyond. If you or a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, contact CyberKnife Center of Chicago to schedule a consultation with our physicians to determine the next best step for your treatment needs.

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CyberKnife Center of Chicago: Metastatic Cancer