The Treatment Process
Once we decided that Cyberknife was our only option, we naturally discussed it with Alan’s Consultant in the UK. We wanted him to tell us we were doing the right thing. As little is known about Cyberknife in the UK, many doctors have not even heard of it and therefore cannot advise you about the efficacy of it. Do not be surprised if your doctor tries to persuade you from pursuing the Cyberknife path. We only found out about Cyberknife by doing our own research and legwork.
Although Alan’s surgeon has been fantastic and has always wanted the best for Alan, he was naturally hesitant when we asked him for advice. We were finally left without much choice; we were not willing to accept that Alan could only be offered palliative treatment in the UK. We wanted a cure. We knew Cyberknife was the answer.
When you decide to ‘go against’ treatment offered in the UK you have to become quite determined in your belief that it IS the right way forward. It is very easy to be swept along by what your doctor is telling you. Throughout the course of Alan’s illness, our experiences have led me, especially, to become a vital ‘voice’ in speaking up about what we wanted in Alan’s treatment. Sometimes you have to fight for what you believe is right. Be proactive!
What Do We Do First?
The first question that you will need answering is – can the Cyberknife System treat my tumour? The only person that can answer that very important question is the doctors at your chosen Cyberknife centre.
Choosing A Cyberknife Centre
There are over 100 Cyberknife centres worldwide. Choosing the right centre is purely a personal choice, depending on how far you wish to travel and also how much available funds you have to finance your treatment.
Treatment costs vary greatly depending on which country you choose. Other considerations are travelling expenses and costs of hotel stays during your treatment. Some people may be fortunate to have relatives living in foreign countries; therefore this fact may influence the choice of Cyberknife centre.
Most Cyberknife centres have a web site, where you can find detailed information about their Cyberknife services. In our experience, none of the websites will give you treatment costs. Some will you give you a guide to what you could expect to pay but treatment costs will not be confirmed until the centre can confirm they can offer you treatment.
We spent many hours on the Internet researching many Cyberknife centres before we chose to go to Georgetown University Hospital. We considered many factors; these included the size of the Cyberknife centre, how long they had been open as a Cyberknife centre and their experience of treating different cancers. Fortunately for us, financing the treatment wasn’t a major consideration so it did not limit the number of centres we could consider. On a personal note, I love shopping in the USA so I was more than happy to seriously consider travelling to America for the Cyberknife treatment!
What Next?
Once you have chosen the Cyberknife centre you wish to go to, you need to arrange to send a copy of your most recent CT scan to them. This is the only way the centre can confirm to you that they can offer you treatment. The best way to do this is to speak to the Consultant who is treating you in the UK. Ask him for a copy of your most recent CT scan, this needs to be on a computer CD. It is a straightforward process for the hospital to transfer your scan images onto a disc.
Once you have a copy of your scans, you need to send them to the Cyberknife centre of your choice. Some centres have the facility for you to send them via e-mail but if not we would advise you to send them via a courier service. Although this way is more costly than sending them via regular post, it’s the quickest means of getting the scan pictures to your chosen centre. As you know when you are dealing with cancer, time is of the essence!
Once the scan pictures have arrived at the Cyberknife centre, it is a case of sitting back, twiddling your thumbs and trying to be patient. The scans will need to be reviewed by the radiation oncologist. He will need to decide if Cyberknife treatment is a realistic treatment option for you. In our experience, we had to wait about a week for the decision.
If you receive the news you didn’t want to hear; that the centre cannot offer you Cyberknife treatment, do not despair! We experienced the very same thing. The first Cyberknife centre we sent Alan’s scan pictures to were unable to offer Alan treatment. Although this is a big disappointment, I didn’t give in. Different Cyberknife centres have varying experience in different types of cancers. So although one centre may be unable to offer treatment, it doesn’t mean to say another centre can’t offer you treatment.
As soon as we heard the first centre could not offer Alan Cyberknife, we immediately sent his scans to Georgetown. Thankfully, they were able to confirm treatment for Alan.