cyberknife centers

[gino]

I live in Albuquerque.  Are the different cyberknife center similar. I live closer to Phoenix Cyberknife?  Or is Stanford still the best choice?  Just wondering. I am now 68 and just don't know if I can tolerate this condition anymore. Thanks, Gino

[donjehle]

Hi gino/daoisthere!

Welcome back to the forums!

I don't live out west and can't really comment on cyberknife centers out there.  But I did come across this post from a few years ago by notaclone13 who is active on the forums:

Welcome chefcrsh,

I too am currently deciding which type of radiation treatment to pursue. Since you are in the Phoenix area, have you considered getting Cyberknife at the Barrows? Several posters on this forum have gone to Barrows for CK. Mayo has a wonderful reputation of course, but there is much more data regarding CK treatment of ANs than there is for linear accelerators. It is also my impression that a fractionated approach (3 treatments on successive days) may result in fewer side effects than getting the whole dose in one treatment. A friend of mine recently got his 12 mm AN treated by CK  at Stanford by Dr. Chang. He is now 5 months out and thus far as not noticed a single side effect. You can find his thread regarding his experience here: https://www.anausa.org/smf/index.php?topic=24607.msg979780081#msg979780081

I have gone to a major medical center near my home and they are strong proponents of the Varian Edge system for treatment of brain tumors and ANs. The radiation oncologist I saw was very charismatic and told me there would be minimal side effects and it may save some of my hearing, but no guarantees of course. However, this center  treats about 32 ANs per year and has only been treating ANs with their equipment for 4 years. I think some doctors always tend to paint a rosy picture that ends up different from the reality. You only have one brain, so you need to pick the best place with the most experience. Feel free to contact me via PM because I have been researching options for a couple of years and would be happy to share what I have learned.

Maybe you can contact notaclone13 for further information?

Best wishes on your journey!
Don