High-tech device offers option for breast cancer surgery

Cyberknife can pinpoint tumors, destroy them without need for surgery

WESTON, Fla. ā€“ When Michele Raps was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, she immediately underwent chemotherapy, followed by aggressive surgery.

"I did a bilateral mastectomy and removed all the other female organs because Iā€™m BRCA-positive," she said.

But 10 years later, the cancer returned.

"We did more chemo, we did more surgery, and this time we added radiation therapy. Unfortunately, two years later, it surfaced again, and now it was stage 4," Raps said.

Dr. Ana Botero, a radiation oncologist with the Memorial Cancer Institute is among a team of doctors with the Memorial Healthcare System who have been a part of Rapsā€™ cancer treatment, including the use of a specialized device called the Cyberknife.

"Cyberknife is actually a very sophisticated robotic machine of radiation therapy. We call it a linear accelerator," BoteroĀ said.

The Cyberknife can pinpoint tumors in the body and destroy them without the need for open surgery or anesthesia. Unlike conventional radiation, the Cyberknife does not damage surrounding tissue and requires fewer treatments that are shorter in duration.

"So one, threeĀ or no more than five treatments in a relatively short period of time, and itā€™s very comfortable and highly effective,"Ā Botero said.

Because theĀ Cyberknife is so well-tolerated and highly focused, it can be done in conjunction with system therapies including chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted treatments, Botero said.

"So one is basically cleaning the body, treating the systemic disease, and the radiation is treating like a surgery on either the primary tumor or the metastases," Botero said.

As is the case with the majority of Cyberknife patients, Raps said she had no side effects from the treatments and has now been cancer-free for the past five years.

"Iā€™m a product of whatā€™s going on and Iā€™m very happy," Raps said.


About the Authors:

Veteran journalist Kathleen Corso is the special projects producer for Local 10 News.

Kristi Krueger has built a solid reputation as an award-winning medical reporter and effervescent anchor. She joined Local 10 in August 1993. After many years co-anchoring the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., Kristi now co-anchors the noon newscasts, giving her more time in the evening with her family.