Personalized therapy for lung cancer, which takes each tumor’s specific genetic characteristics, is a new approach that has been proven to significantly improve survival rates, even in patients with advanced stage cancers. Lung cancer is the deadliest of cancers, responsible for approximately one third of all oncology-related deaths. It has long been considered problematic to […]
Micra™ Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS), the world’s smallest pacemaker is now available in three medical centers in Israel. It only measures 1/10th of a regular device, which is why it can be implanted by means of a minimally invasive pacemaker surgery. It is delivered through the inguinal vein without the need for an invasive procedure! […]
The world-class Assuta Medical Center uses RapidArc radiotherapy as part of treatment for a wide array of oncological diseases. Also known as VMAT (Volumetric Arc Therapy) it is an advanced form of IMRT (intensity-modulated radiation therapy), used to deliver radiation therapy with a 360° rotation. The technology has been developed by US’s Varian Medical Systems, […]
Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy / HIPEC treatment (also referred to as “heated chemotherapy“) is the name of an innovative method of therapy, developed for treating carcinomas that have metastasized into the abdominal cavity (i.e. ovarian and intestinal cancers, etc.). It helps combat these kinds of metastases and has been shown to significantly prolong patients’ lives. What […]
Up until recently, patients requiring surgical intervention had only 2 options: open surgery involving a large incision that usually left a scar or laparoscopy with a small incision. Thanks to recent technologies developments, there is a now a third, minimally invasive option: robotic surgery using the Da Vinci robot. The Da Vinci Surgical System was […]
Abiraterone (Zytiga) is a breakthrough prostate cancer treatment drug, which has shown promise even in patients with extremely advanced disease. It has been approved by the FDA in 2011. The non-steroidal anti-tumour agent has decreased mortality rate by 35% and significantly increased the survival rate for patients with metastatic prostate cancer. The drug suppresses the cytochrome P17 […]
CyberKnife treatment is a groundbreaking method for treating non-invasive tumours, either malignant or benign. The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System can be used on lesions in any part of the body (including prostate, lungs, brain, spine and spinal cord, and lungs). The new technology has been shown to help patients with inoperable tumours and is also advantageous for […]
Vitrification is a flash-freezing process that results in a solid, glass-like substance. It is currently the main method of egg freezing, associated with best IVF outcomes. Unlike other methods of oocyte cryopreservation, ice crystal formation (which may damage the egg) does not occur during vitrification. As the technique requires a considerable amount of skill, it is […]
Many tumours (both in the brain and in other organs) cannot be surgically cured. This is why, in certain cases, radiation therapy is required. Israeli clinics apply the most advanced XRT techniques to help patients recover as quickly as possible. One of these methods is fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy. What is Fractional Stereotactic Radiotherapy? FSR is […]
A gamma knife surgery is considered to be one of the most effective methods of treating central nervous system tumours (both malignant and non-cancerous). This new tool for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) can also be used for treating both primary and metastatic tumours, benign brain masses and vascular anomalies. It is optimal for masses not exceeding […]
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. As this type of tumour is usually diagnosed in late stages, traditional surgical intervention is possible in only about 15 to 20% of cases. In 40% of cases the disease has already metastasized, and in 30 to 40% of cases it has invaded the […]
Brachytherapy involves the placement of radioactive seeds either into or near the tumour. This minimizes the exposure of surrounding healthy tissue to radiation during treatment. The technique, which does not require surgical intervention, has been shown to achieve complete remission and is regarded as one of the foremost methods of treating prostate cancer. Advantages of Brachytherapy […]
Selective internal radiation therapy is a revolutionary internal radiotherapy method for treating inoperable malignant liver tumours (primary or mets) in patients whose life expectancy does not exceed 3 months. The technique had been developed by Australian experts in the early 1980’s and approved for use in 2002. Over 30 thousand patients had received SIRT since. It is […]
Intrabeam radiotherapy is a new intraoperative breast cancer treatment, which is designed to prevent recurrence of the disease and spare the patients from having to undergo post-operative radiation therapy. The treatment is performed during an organ-sparing surgery ([[lumpectomy]]). After removing the tumour, the surgeon will insert the Intrabeam device into the cavity. Radiation is […]
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a non-invasive treatment which involves inhaling pure oxygen (as opposed to 21% oxygen in the air we usually breathe). HBOT takes place inside a specialized hyperbaric chamber and is considered to be an efficient method to treating a wide variety of issues including decompression sickness, non-healing diabetic/vascular wounds, osseous tissue infections, […]
Approved by the FDA in late 2013 and by the EMA in early 2014 Sovaldi (Sofosbuvir) has revolutionized [[hepatitis C treatment]]. The nucleotide polymerase inhibitor is used in cases of chronic viral hepatitis C. This type of treatment does not require Interferon, which is known to cause significant side effects and cause CNS, cardiovascular system, […]
Disk herniation treatment involves a complicated surgery during which one of the discs is removed. Even when performed by the most skilled surgeons there is no guarantee that you will not experience complications. This is why many people prefer, whenever possible, to seek other treatments. Up until recently, however, there simply wasn’t another option of […]
Prostate cancer is the most common form of malignancy amongst men. Thanks to improvement in early detection techniques, the percentage of patients diagnosed at an early stage has significantly increased over the past few decades. Recently, specialists from Israel’s Weizmann Institute have developed a quick, safe, non-surgical treatment for prostate cancer. The new method will […]
Prof. Bella Kaufman from Sheba Hospital’s Institute of Oncology, is considered one of Israel’s foremost experts in treating breast cancer. Her field of expertise is oncological diseases in patients with BRCA mutation. While her research has the most significance for breast and ovarian cancer patients, it is also used in treatment of other malignancies, such as […]
Assuta Medical Center is the first medical facility in the world to utilize Brainlab’s groundbreaking technology that allows to simultaneously perform radiosurgery on multiple brain tumors, with minimal damages to surrounding healthy tissues. The development revolutionized the way patients with multiple brain mets are treated. Unlike previously, all masses can be targetted during a single procedure, which is normally performed […]