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Doc shares FMH experience at national conference

Much of Dr. Paul Chomiak's day revolves around a $6 million machine.

The CyberKnife sits behind a 12-ton door at the Frederick Memorial Healthcare System's Regional Cancer Therapy Center. From there, Chomiak oversees the treatment of cancer patients. The machine treats tumors with concentrated bursts of radiation, significantly reducing treatment time and protecting surrounding tissues.

Chomiak is one of three thoracic surgeons in Maryland certified to use the CyberKnife to treat lung cancer. He's also the medical director of the FMH CyberKnife Center, so he supervises every other doctor works with the system.

Chomiak trained at the University of Wisconsin and began practicing thoracic surgery in 1994. He was recruited from Milwaukee to Sinai Hospital in Baltimore in 2003 to run its CyberKnife program. Sinai was the fourth hospital in the U.S. to acquire a CyberKnife, he said.

He came to FMH last year when the Cancer Center's CyberKnife Center opened. Today, more than 90 hospitals in the U.S. have a CyberKnife.

Chomiak has become used to travel: He said he's on the road once every two months, presenting the history of the CyberKnife and the patient outcomes he has seen. Most recently, he shared his experiences from both Sinai and FMH at the annual Society of Thoracic Surgeons conference, held in San Francisco in January.

The FMH CyberKnife Center is part of an international trial studying the effectiveness of the CyberKnife versus traditional lobectomy to treat lung cancer.

Chomiak is passionate about using and sharing the new technology.

Though it's relatively new, the CyberKnife could transform the practice of cancer treatment, he said.

"The outcomes have been wonderful," he said. "We're heading toward the CyberKnife being used for all cancers. There's literally no down time, and the risks are minimal."