CyberKnife procedure could make beating certain cancers more bearable

A breakthrough cancer-fighting technology is saving lives in right here in Southwest Florida.

While the concept of the CyberKnife by Accuray  has been around for a while, a new robotic system in Naples is giving patients hope.

Dennis Rozumalski describes his prostate cancer diagnosis: “Having something like that in your body is very uncomfortable. It’s very unsettling.”

It’s something that runs in his family. “My dad had prostate cancer twice,” Rozumalski said, and his dad beat it.

Using this new technology in Naples, he plans on beating it too.

“We got it early,” Rozumalski said.” That’s the advantage of staying on top of it very early on.”

Dr. Bruce Nakfoor is a radiational oncologist who says the machine can treat tumors from the prostate to the brain, “[It allows] us to go to a very high dose treatments with fewer treatments.”

A massive head on the device moves around. It directs a beam of radiation, targeting the cancer and avoiding healthy cells.

“It is more sophisticated than prior versions. … It’s like comparing a bicycle to a car.”

The good news is, it’s covered by most insurance provides.

Side effects include headaches, nausea or fatigue and are generally less intense than other forms or radiation.

Something that appealed to Rozumalski, “Given some of the other options, this appears to be the most attractive in terms of side effects.”

He still has a few more radiation treatments to make sure they get all the cancer.

Rozumalski says this new treatment is making beating cancer a little easier.