Guest guest Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Hi J, I was assured that with the 3 gold markers my system used ( Ialso had the tattoos/lasers) accuracy was 5mm to 7mm at worst so I would have thought Calypso would be more accurate than 1cm. I do agree that the removal of worry over breathing, sneezing ( I never thought of farting while on the table!) etc would be a great relief compared to my trad IGRT. I think most of us who chose photon beams would have chosen proton particle beams had we had the option. Spain Re: Calypso Radiation >> Has anyone heard of this technique? I was all set to begin Proton Radiation in about 8 weeks from now but a guy at my health spa just finished with Calypso here in Miami. He claimed no side effects and he feels great.> > I'm shocked as I have never ever heard of this. Anyone?>Gamlin,I echo Chris' sentiments. Calypso is IMRT with IGRT (Image Guided) via the beacons. It ensures that the full dosage (81Gy) of Radiation Therapy over the period of treatment gets to the affected area precisely. It allows for Real-Time monitoring and application of the beam to the prostate gland as the beams are applied during Tx. Equally important, it helps narrow down the Radiation Field more precisely, so that you aren't radiating the bladder or bowel area directly. I belive Calypso is developing this technology for other types of this disease as well.During conventional IMRT, prior to daily treatment,they line up your tatoos (boney anatomy) with lasers. I felt I had a much better comfort level, once they adjusted me with the Calypso System,(IGRT). That is, they would align me with the lasers, then the Calypso system would guide them down say another inch or right or left another inch. I am told this ensures the beam is accurate to 1 CM or .375 inches; others say, it is more accurate to like .25 inches, - that is the kind of precision I like, I would've prefered perfect, but hey, I'll roll with the latest and greatest. One other safety factor with Calypso, is that if you moved, shifted, burped, or farted to any great degree, the beam application would shut down if you shifted outside the telemetry, that's what we mean by Real Time application.Prior to treatment (Tx) the Beacons must be implanted surgically in a procedure similar to a needle biopsy, usually in an operating room on an outpatient basis.I went thru 9.5 weeks of therapy with Calypso last year, March-May 2009, with minimal side-effects. My first choice would have been the Proton beam, had it been available where I live (Philly, Pa) but given that it wasn't, and, I had to travel to some other part of the country, I choose Calypso. We now have the latest and greatest Proton Center open at the University of Pennyslvania, The Proton Center, but due to my case, I couldn't wait a year.Best,J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Chris: I would have chosen protons as opposed to photons had I had the $$ to go TDY to a proton center, but the photons obviously did the job, because I have a PSA of 0.1 with no new side effects from the IGRT. Tom Lauterback From: ProstateCancerSupport [mailto:ProstateCancerSupport ] On Behalf Of elhorizonte Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 8:25 AM To: ProstateCancerSupport Subject: Re: Re: Calypso Radiation Hi J, I was assured that with the 3 gold markers my system used ( Ialso had the tattoos/lasers) accuracy was 5mm to 7mm at worst so I would have thought Calypso would be more accurate than 1cm. I do agree that the removal of worry over breathing, sneezing ( I never thought of farting while on the table!) etc would be a great relief compared to my trad IGRT. I think most of us who chose photon beams would have chosen proton particle beams had we had the option. Spain ----- Original Message ----- From: Racer X To: ProstateCancerSupport Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 2:36 PM Subject: Re: Calypso Radiation > > Has anyone heard of this technique? I was all set to begin Proton Radiation in about 8 weeks from now but a guy at my health spa just finished with Calypso here in Miami. He claimed no side effects and he feels great. > > I'm shocked as I have never ever heard of this. Anyone? > Gamlin, I echo Chris' sentiments. Calypso is IMRT with IGRT (Image Guided) via the beacons. It ensures that the full dosage (81Gy) of Radiation Therapy over the period of treatment gets to the affected area precisely. It allows for Real-Time monitoring and application of the beam to the prostate gland as the beams are applied during Tx. Equally important, it helps narrow down the Radiation Field more precisely, so that you aren't radiating the bladder or bowel area directly. I belive Calypso is developing this technology for other types of this disease as well. During conventional IMRT, prior to daily treatment,they line up your tatoos (boney anatomy) with lasers. I felt I had a much better comfort level, once they adjusted me with the Calypso System,(IGRT). That is, they would align me with the lasers, then the Calypso system would guide them down say another inch or right or left another inch. I am told this ensures the beam is accurate to 1 CM or .375 inches; others say, it is more accurate to like .25 inches, - that is the kind of precision I like, I would've prefered perfect, but hey, I'll roll with the latest and greatest. One other safety factor with Calypso, is that if you moved, shifted, burped, or farted to any great degree, the beam application would shut down if you shifted outside the telemetry, that's what we mean by Real Time application. Prior to treatment (Tx) the Beacons must be implanted surgically in a procedure similar to a needle biopsy, usually in an operating room on an outpatient basis. I went thru 9.5 weeks of therapy with Calypso last year, March-May 2009, with minimal side-effects. My first choice would have been the Proton beam, had it been available where I live (Philly, Pa) but given that it wasn't, and, I had to travel to some other part of the country, I choose Calypso. We now have the latest and greatest Proton Center open at the University of Pennyslvania, The Proton Center, but due to my case, I couldn't wait a year. Best, J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Ok Guys, I think I know the answer and I am told since I have had (Photon) that it is not advisable to have another radiation. I had mine at St Lukes in Houston, Tx. I have often wondered since the place that it occurred in another lymph gland near my back and higher than the prostrate. The radiation was done on the "bed" next to the bladder lining. If the Photon is that focused why can't they radiate that lymph gland with a different kind of radiation in a different area although near. True I am afraid they will make mush of me with all sorts of side effects and I think it might be preferable or worth trying for a cure than Lupron. What say ye? Tom To: ProstateCancerSupport Sent: Thu, February 4, 2010 7:36:42 AMSubject: Re: Calypso Radiation >> Has anyone heard of this technique? I was all set to begin Proton Radiation in about 8 weeks from now but a guy at my health spa just finished with Calypso here in Miami. He claimed no side effects and he feels great.> > I'm shocked as I have never ever heard of this. Anyone?>Gamlin,I echo Chris' sentiments. Calypso is IMRT with IGRT (Image Guided) via the beacons. It ensures that the full dosage (81Gy) of Radiation Therapy over the period of treatment gets to the affected area precisely. It allows for Real-Time monitoring and application of the beam to the prostate gland as the beams are applied during Tx. Equally important, it helps narrow down the Radiation Field more precisely, so that you aren't radiating the bladder or bowel area directly. I belive Calypso is developing this technology for other types of this disease as well.During conventional IMRT, prior to daily treatment,they line up your tatoos (boney anatomy) with lasers. I felt I had a much better comfort level, once they adjusted me with the Calypso System,(IGRT) . That is, they would align me with the lasers, then the Calypso system would guide them down say another inch or right or left another inch. I am told this ensures the beam is accurate to 1 CM or .375 inches; others say, it is more accurate to like .25 inches, - that is the kind of precision I like, I would've prefered perfect, but hey, I'll roll with the latest and greatest. One other safety factor with Calypso, is that if you moved, shifted, burped, or farted to any great degree, the beam application would shut down if you shifted outside the telemetry, that's what we mean by Real Time application.Prior to treatment (Tx) the Beacons must be implanted surgically in a procedure similar to a needle biopsy, usually in an operating room on an outpatient basis.I went thru 9.5 weeks of therapy with Calypso last year, March-May 2009, with minimal side-effects. My first choice would have been the Proton beam, had it been available where I live (Philly, Pa) but given that it wasn't, and, I had to travel to some other part of the country, I choose Calypso. We now have the latest and greatest Proton Center open at the University of Pennyslvania, The Proton Center, but due to my case, I couldn't wait a year.Best,J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Tom wrote: > I think I know the answer and I am told since I have had > (Photon) that it is not advisable to have another radiation. I > had mine at St Lukes in Houston, Tx. I have often wondered > since the place that it occurred in another lymph gland near my > back and higher than the prostrate. The radiation was done on > the " bed " next to the bladder lining. If the Photon is that > focused why can't they radiate that lymph gland with a > different kind of radiation in a different area although near. > True I am afraid they will make mush of me with all sorts of > side effects and I think it might be preferable or worth trying > for a cure than Lupron. Tom, This is really a question for the doctors. I'm guessing that they think that, if the cancer is in this lymph node, it's in other places too. If so, then radiating the lymph node might have no effect at all on the course of the disease since it's not the cancer in the lymph node that can kill you. If that's so, then you'd get the cost, bother and side effects of the additional radiation with no particular benefit. They do sometimes radiate spots outside the prostate, but it's not for curative purposes. It's to relieve pain. For example if cancer starts growing in the bones and causes severe pain, killing the cancer in that spot can relieve the pain. However it generally provides little or no life extension. But you need to ask this question of a real specialist. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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