Accuray Inc (ARAY)

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It has been stated by ARAY that the model for sites to benefit from CyberKnife with ositive revenue is 50 patient per year...

well, it hardly seems like it has been a year since Huntington got its CK, but...

Hospital marks one year for new cancer technology
Jul 31, 2008 @ 05:40 PM
By LAURA WILCOX
Herald-Dispatch.com

HUNTINGTON — At just one year old, N.I.C.K. is already saving lives.

The Non-Invasive CyberKnife at St. Mary’s Medical Center was officially nicknamed “N.I.C.K.” on Thursday, during a one-year anniversary celebration for the cancer treatment.

Nearly 100 patients have been treated at St. Mary’s using the noninvasive radiosurgical device since it was unveiled last August, according to Dr. Vera Rose, vice president for oncology services.

“Over the past year we have been extremely successful, probably beyond our expectations,” Rose said.

She said patients have been overwhelmingly positive about the new technology, which allows for less pain and nausea.

Charlotte Oyler of Barboursville was one of the first dozen or so patients to undergo CyberKnife treatment. She finished in November.

Oyler was first diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2003. She underwent normal surgery and 37 radiation treatments at St. Mary’s. More than four years later, her tumor returned.

Doctors suggested their new technology, CyberKnife, this time around. The system remains the only one of its kind in the state. It compensates for patient breathing and movement, treating only the patient’s tumor.

After four days of treatment, Oyler was done. She said she experienced no pain, and her follow-up MRI showed her tumor had not grown. She will undergo another MRI this month.

Oyler said her CyberKnife experience differs greatly from her previous treatments. With CyberKnife, she just sat back and listened to her Kenny G CD. She said the hardest part was staying still, but a see-through mask over her face helped to prevent movement.

She said the nurses and staff were also great.

“When I finished, Kenny G was still playing and we danced around the room,” she said. “It was just so much more pleasant.”