CyberKnife

(it's a trademarked name)

Nope, not part of a Dr. Who villain’s (or monster’s) arsenal.  Part of the anti-cancer arsenal.

My Best Friend’s Husband (The husband of Kitch; I’ll call him BFH) is having surgery with a CyberKnife today.

We are very excited.  Also a little worried,  but mostly very hopeful.

BFH has been battling cancer for over a year now.  It started in his esophagus and has spread to his liver and now his brain.    BFH is very cool.  And also awesome.  And determined. 

Back to the CyberKnife.

OK, so as you’ve heard before, the three ways to kill cancer are cut, burn and poison.  Cut = surgery, burn = radiation, poison = chemotherapy.

Since the cancer has spread to the brain, chemo isn’t an option.  It won’t cross the blood/brain barrier.  Standard surgery would mean BFH going off his regular chemo for some time before and after, and a whole host of risks.  So, no. 

CyberKnife is…new.  The official site can be found at this link.  

It is robotic, radiation surgery.  It will target the tumor very accurately, leaving the normal, healthy tissue alone.   Which sounds a lot more preferable to someone digging into the little grey cells with a big ol’ scalpel.

As I understand it, BFH will be on the table, or chair, or whatever, and positioned with a mask or strap or something.  But he won’t have a frame screwed into his skull as with other surgical treatments.  And it sounds like he won’t be sedated. 

So, we wish him and his care team the very best today.   

But some of us may possibly make comments about super villain powers later.

edit-May 7/11
Since some visitors come from CinnamonOpus, note that BDH and BFH are not the same person.  Both totally cool, but not the same guy.  And neither one is a BOFH.