Robotic Radiosurgery Center For Pets, Only Second in US, Opens in Malvern
By John McDevitt
MALVERN, Pa. (CBS) -- A robotic radiosurgery system designed to treat tumors non-invasively throughout the human body is now available for animals.
The Veterinary Cyberknife Cancer Center opened in Chester County earlier this week.
There are only two of these high-tech tumor treatment systems devoted to animals in the United States: one in Yonkers, New York, and the other now in Malvern (Chester County), Pa.
"The concept came from intercontinental ballistic missile tracking, years ago, and it enables a radiation oncologist to deliver this radiation in a very precise way without damaging surrounding tissue or organs," says Chris Popper, president and CEO of Veterinary Cyberknife Cancer Center.
The Cyberknife is able to deliver effective radiation to a pet in one to three treatments, versus 17 to 20 treatments of traditional radiation therapy -- which, he adds, is lots more challenging for the pet.
"To try to put them on (traditional) radiation for a brain tumor or whatever else," Popper explains, "you have to have them fast. And then they have (to receive) anesthesia. The next day they have to recover from that, and they have to do that 20 times -- or more sometimes. So now we eliminated that."
Your pet's veterinarian can make a referral to the Veterinary Cyberknife Cancer Center.
