Riverview at the forefront of next generation cancer treatment In 2005, Riverview Medical Center became home to the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System, one of the most revolutionary radiosurgical technologies in the world. It offers a noninvasive alternative to surgery for the treatment of both cancerous and noncancerous tumors anywhere in the body, including the prostate, lung, brain, spine, liver, pancreas and kidney.The treatment — which delivers beams of high dose radiation to tumors with extreme accuracy — offers new hope to patients worldwide.Almost five years later,Riverview stands as one of a limited number of medical facilities in the United States to host the CyberKnife System. Riverview now announces the addition of the SuperDimension InReach Electromagnetic Navigation System, which provides precise, GPS-like guidance to peripheral lung lesions. Cancer of the lung is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the United States.As the incidence of lung disease grows, the challenge of early, accurate diagnosis and treatment of lung lesions is becoming more critical. Up until now, twothirds of lung lesions were outside the reach of a traditional bronchoscope, making more invasive diagnostic techniques such as transthoracic needle aspiration or a wedge resection necessary. These types of procedures carry a much higher risk for morbidity and mortality. Patients with poor lung function may not tolerate such invasive procedures, leaving them with "watchful waiting" as their only option.The SuperDimension InReach System addresses this unmet medical need by enabling physicians to access lung lesions previously inaccessible by traditional techniques, while significantly minimizing the risk for complications.Currently,Riverview Medical Center is the only facility in the state of New Jersey to offer this incredible technology. "Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for improving survival rates in malignant lung disease.A recent study determined lung lesions diagnosed early (Stage I) resulted in a survival rate of 90 percent at 10 years.Compare this to lung cancer patients diagnosed at Stage III or IV where survival rates typically are 15 percent at five years,"explains Adnan F. Danish, M.D., radiation oncologist and medical director of the CyberKnife Radiosurgery program at Riverview Medical Center. "The SuperDimension InReach System reduces the risk of a lung collapse to less than 5 percent, and will allow us to safely diagnose and prepare to treat patients with lung cancer at a much earlier stage," says Adrian Pristas, M.D., pulminary specialist at Riverview Medical Center."We can then use the CyberKnife to eradicate the lesion and hopefully cure the disease. Riverview's CyberKnife System is also receiving several substantial upgrades to the system allowing for more accurate radiation delivery and shorter treatment time." "The addition of the SuperDimension InReach System, as well as the upgrades to our CyberKnife System, are further evidence of the Booker Cancer Center's position as the leader in cancer care, services and resources in the region," explains Lourens J.Willekes II, M.D., cardiothoracic surgeon at Riverview Medical Center."The instrument will be useful for localizing small nodules that are deep in the lung pre-operatively, as well as placing fiducials for radiation. Fiducials are small implants that the CyberKnife technology uses to track the tumor movement while the patient is breathing."