News

For Immediate Release

Tavares, FL: As part of its ongoing commitment to providing state-of-the-art treatment options for cancer care, Florida Hospital Waterman Cancer Institute is now offering stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Located on the campus of Florida Hospital Waterman in Tavares, the Cancer Institute is the only facility in Lake County that offers this advanced treatment.

SBRT is a treatment technique that delivers high doses of radiation with extreme accuracy to treat tumors in the lung and liver. The potent dose of radiation that is delivered by SBRT significantly increases the likelihood of eradicating the tumor when compared to conventional radiation therapy. SBRT’s accuracy allows physicians to minimize radiation dose to surrounding healthy tissue, reducing the chance of side effects for the patient.

Another advantage of SBRT is that patients usually complete their treatment in three to five sessions over two week period, compared to six to eight weeks of daily conventional radiation therapy. According to radiation oncologist Jeffrey Brabham, M.D., “SBRT offers the dual benefits of improving tumor control rates while significantly decreasing treatment time. It is non-invasive and, when performed carefully, has a very favorable side effect profile.”

SBRT may be used as a non-invasive therapy for patients who are not healthy enough to undergo surgery to remove their tumor or in patients with recurrent tumors that were previously treated with radiation therapy. “There is growing evidence that SBRT may be as effective as limited surgery in stage I lung cancers. For patients who are not healthy enough for surgery, SBRT is often an excellent alternative. We are very excited to now be able to offer this therapy to our patients here at Florida Hospital Waterman,” says Dr. Brabham.

For more information about cancer treatment options at Florida Hospital Waterman Cancer Institute, please call 352.253.3610.

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