Cumming Radiation Oncologist Performs First Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in Forsyth County

CUMMING, Ga., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- When 76-year old Cumming resident, Charles Smith was diagnosed with lung cancer he thought the worst. Raised in the carnival and a self professed hobo for 21 years, Smith had a less than ordinary life. In addition to his other illnesses, Smith felt limited in his choices for treatment – until Chad Levitt, M.D., Medical Director and Radiation Oncologist with Radiotherapy Centers of Georgia - North Georgia introduced him to Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT).

"Mr. Smith was a perfect candidate for this treatment, and upon discussing his case with his referring physician, Mr. Smith and his family, we agreed this would be the best course of action," explained Dr. Levitt.

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) is the administration of a very large dose of radiation to an isolated tumor or tumors within the body, with the goal to completely kill the cancerous tumor cells.  The treatment is precise and lasts five days, compared to a three month timeline that radiation therapy treatment would require.

"Typically, SBRT consists of 3 to 5 treatments carried out over the course of 1 to 2 weeks," Levitt added. "Mr. Smith was not a surgical candidate due to his other medical problems, thus radiation was one of the only options traditionally more than six weeks of treatment."

The procedure's accurate radiation enables a higher dosage of radiation directly to the tumor, improving the destruction of cancer cells. The reduction in radiation to the normal tissue around the tumor also helps reduce a patient's side effects.

"I was amazed by how well I felt -- it was easy and convenient and I really didn't feel uncomfortable at any time," explains Smith. "Dr. Levitt explained everything to me in a way I could understand. He took away any fears and anxiety I had."

Smith's daughter Shirley agrees, "After we spoke with Dr. Levitt, the nurse and the therapists, we felt everything was going to be fine."

"They saved my life," said Smith. "I've had 14 surgeries in my life and I really don't think I could have survived another…or any other treatment for my cancer."

Dr. Levitt is a board-certified radiation oncologist and Atlanta native, and the Medical Director of the North Georgia facility. He completed his doctorate and residency at Emory University's School of Medicine in Atlanta, and prior to joining RCOG, Dr. Levitt practiced in Colorado and Florida. Dr. Levitt was the first radiation oncologist in Colorado to develop a seed-based IGRT prostate program and  performed more than 45 SBRT procedures while in Colorado.

"Cancer patients are really fighting the biggest battle of their lives, and we are helping to cure them with minimal side effects," said Levitt. In the last three years, Dr. Levitt has treated over 50 patients using the SBRT technique.

For more information about SBRT treatment, please contact Dr. Chad Levitt at 678-947-0457. For more information on Radiotherapy Centers of Georgia, please visit www.rccancercenters.com.

About RC Cancer Centers

Each year thousands of patients from around the world and across the United States turn to RC Cancer Centers seeking a cure for their prostate cancer and learn why they are The Choice for Saving Lives. Founded in 1979, Radiotherapy Centers of Georgia, a division of RC Cancer Centers, has earned a reputation for being one of the country's top cancer treatment and research facilities because of its commitment to quality, use of the latest radiation technology and focus on research that enables it to treat men and women with different types of cancer, including breast, prostate, lung, colon, lymphatic and others. Radiotherapy Centers of Georgia has treated more than 12,500 men for prostate cancer and has compiled its observations of these men, both before and after treatment, into one of the largest computerized databases on prostate cancer in the United States. For more information, visit rccancercenters.com.

SOURCE RC Cancer Centers