Looking for a physician who does Cyberknife in eastern PA

[BeckyB]

I am a 55 year old woman with a 2cm AN.  I am scheduled to have surgery but am decided against it after looking over this web site.  I enjoy listening to my grandson laugh and birds singing.  I didn't want to diminish that with surgery and total hearing loss on one side.  My hearing isn't too bad right now.  Plus the surgery scares the heck out of me.  At this point I kinda ruled out GK.  FSR sounds good to me but I was interested in Cyberknife.  Does anyone know where to go, or who to see that is located around the eastern part of Pennsylvania?

I haven't read too much about CK.  I did not come across any charts comparing results/%'s of patients and post-op like I did for GK ans FSR. 

I'd like to know how people feel about CK. 

[Static]

Becky,
Where are you scheduled to have your surgery performed?  Did you ask there about gamma or FSR?  I had my surgery done at Jefferson in Philadelphia and I know they do different kinds of gammas there as well as the University of PA.  Just do a Google to get the Drs. names from the University, but I do know the Doc at Jeffs name is Dr. Andrews.  I wish you luck!
~Karen

[BeckyB]

I am scheduled at Jefferson in Philadelphia with Wilcox and Evans.  I know Evans does radioloogy and I have been trying to get in contact with him.

[BeckyB]

I met with Dr. James Evans.  He would be working with another docter doing the surgery.  During my visit with him, he said he also worked with radiation.  That got me to thinking.  I started checking out the ANA website and others.  From what I read, I changed my mind and decided to cancel surgery and go the FSR route.  (Wasn't ready to give up what hearing I have.)  I contacted Dr. Evans about my decision and thought he would talk about the radiation treatments but he had me contact Dr. Maria Werner-Wasik.  (I'm not sure if I was just passed off.)  Met with Dr. Werner-Wasik and started the process.  I'm scheduled for a mask fitting in July. There will be 26 treatments for a total of 12 GY.  It will mean a trip to Philadelphia every day (2 hours one way).  I really hope I made the right decision.  (Too bad I had to make a decision like this in the first place.) 

Wish things were easier.

[Mark]

Becky,

I couldn't see that your original question about CK centers near Philadelphia was answered, so just in case , there is one in Havertown and here is the link.

http://www.accuray.com/CyberKnifeCenters/SiteProfile.aspx?cksid=2cbf389f-c443-401d-a408-569389329b24

There are a larger number of posts on this forum comparing the different machines and essentially all of them will do the job, but there is a drop off in accuracy from the CK / GK level to the others which is one of the reasons there are so many days of small doses.

GK is a one day option with a head frame , CK is typically done in fractions over three days and the others are the 25-30 day programs such as is offered by Jefferson.

Also I'll attach a link to the machine comparison from the CK site which I think is pretty accurate. Jefferson is using a shaped beam LINAC  machine, probably Novalis

http://www.cksociety.org/PatientInfo/radiosurgery_stereotactic_technology_comparisons.asp


Good luck to you

Mark

[Static]

Thanks for that info  Mark.  Since I had surgery, I really didn't have any info about the other routes.  I hope Becky knows of these other options since that is alot of travel time for her.  I was also told by someone else that there is someplace she can stay near Jeff although it is kind of costly.  It's tough to have to make these decisions but someone has to do it.  Again, thanks for your valuable input.
~Karen

[Mark]

Karen,

I actually grew up in Broomall, so ironically Haverford Hospital was the closest one to me. Fortunately, I never had a need for their services back then  . Even though I live in CA now, I certainly have memories of the time it took to get around the area given the lack of highway system which is typical of a lot big east coast cities. I'm pretty sure it's not much better now, even though my friends have told me that they finally finished the "blue" route a few years back. I remember riding my bike on sections of it in the sixties. Only took them 30 plus years to complete it, what a fiasco  .  Ah, the memories.....

Mark

[Static]

Mark,
The blue route was outdated before it was even finished.  It's almost always backed up and so is the schuylkill!  I don't like having to go that way but unless you go down 309 and then right down Broad street and into Center City, there's really no other way from where I live.  There always seems to be construction going on along one of the major routes also.    Fun, fun, fun   
~Karen