Conditions and Treatments
The UF Health Metastatic Cancer Program treats cancer that has spread to the lung, bone, brain, lymph nodes or liver.
Because all metastatic cancer is considered stage 4 with no distinction for severity, the standard course of treatment is usually chemotherapy. However, chemotherapy does not have the capacity to destroy – or ablate – the tumors, which rules out the possibility of a cure.
Now, the UF Health Metastatic Cancer Program is changing the definition of “incurable.” An aggressive new approach led by an expert team of physicians targets metastatic tumors occurring in the lung, bone, brain, lymph nodes or liver with precise doses of radiation given over the course of five to 10 days.
These forward-thinking, effective new methods for treating metastatic cancer represent a fundamental shift in the cancer treatment paradigm – moving from palliative care for metastatic cancer patients to treating with curative intent.
Oligometastases occurs when a primary cancer spreads to multiple parts of the body such as the lung, bone, brain, lymph nodes or liver with few tumors, or lesions. These lesions, targeted by our innovative ablative methods, can be controlled and even eliminated by precise doses of radiation when discovered early.
Metastatic cancers treated include:
The UF Health Metastatic Cancer Program also treats patients with active primary cancer sites in the lung, prostate, colon and breast. Patients respond well to treatment when the primary malignancy has been controlled and continues to be managed, and the best results occur when there are only a few new lesions that have been discovered very early.
For primary tumors that have metastasized, the UF Health Metastatic Cancer Program’s comprehensive treatment plan is offered along with standard chemotherapy prescribed by the patient’s existing physician.
Other cancers may be considered for treatment on a case by case basis. Liver cancer patients may also benefit from the program’s aggressive treatment, in conjunction with other treatment regimens, in order to limit tumor growth and potentially keep the patient in criteria for a transplant.