Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute Celebrates 1000th Patient Treated Using Gamma Knife

Rupesh Kotecha, MD

Leading the fight against brain metastases, Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute hit a new milestone recently. The center treated its 1000th patient using Gamma Knife radiosurgery, an incisionless radiation therapy that precisely targets a tumor, importantly minimizing damage to otherwise healthy brain tissue.

Teams from Miami Cancer Institute and Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute work together to develop individualized plans for each patient and hold weekly Tumor Board and Radiosurgery Conferences to discuss patients. The accomplishment reflects the rapid growth of the Institute since its opening in 2017 and is particularly significant because with more than 4,000 tumors treated ― and the only Gamma Knife Icon system in South Florida ― Miami Cancer Institute is the most experienced in the region in using the newest technology.

“We treat very complicated cases,” says chief of Radiosurgery and director of the Central Nervous System Metastasis Program at Miami Cancer Institute, Rupesh Kotecha, MD. “It’s not just the number of patients we have treated, it’s the number of tumors we have treated, as well. Each patient typically has more than one tumor.”

“The importance of our collaboration is that you get multiple opinions from different disciplines as to the best form of treatment,” says Michael McDermott, MD, chief medical executive of Miami Neuroscience Institute and co-director of the Radiosurgery Program at Miami Cancer Institute. “It’s not a single doctor’s opinion, which actually may not be up-to-date or evidence-based.” The multidisciplinary healthcare team also includes experienced medical physicists, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, nurses and advanced practice providers, such as physician assistants.

Miami Cancer Institute’s experience with Gamma Knife will have an impact on the future of cancer care for years to come, Dr. Kotecha says. By leading and participating in international and national clinical trials and collecting large amounts of patient data and outcome measures, the Institute has published results in top clinical journals and become a go-to for input on future technological improvements and recommended treatment changes.

About Baptist Health

Baptist Health is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 12 hospitals, more than 26,000 employees, 4,000 physicians and 100 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned centers of excellence in cancer, cardiovascular care, orthopedics and sports medicine, and neurosciences. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and Baptist Health Care On Demand, a virtual health platform. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Newsroom and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.