CyberKnife Treatment

Recommended For CyberKnife Treatment

Cyberknife treatment is recommended for patients suffering from cancerous or non-cancerous tumors in several areas of the body, including:

● Kidney

● Pancreas

● Liver

● Spine

● Brain

● Lung

● Prostate

Cyberknife treatment can be used alone or in conjunction with chemotherapy, depending on the tumor size and location. The procedure is especially recommended for patients suffering from inoperable tumors or brain tumors.

Not Recommended For CyberKnife Treatment

Cyberknife treatment is not recommended for patients suffering from one or more of the following:

● Spinal instability

● Neurological deficit caused by pressure from bone structures

● Previous high dose radiotherapy

● Metastatic cancer

Duration Of Operation

40 to 90 minutes

Overview

CyberKnife is a robotic radiosurgery system currently being used to treat malignant tumors, benign tumors, and several other medical conditions. The system was developed in the early 90’s and since then it has been continuously improved.

The Cyberknife system allows delivering radiotherapy to certain areas of the body with greater accuracy as compared to standard radiotherapy. The Cyberknife system is composed of two main elements which set it apart from traditional radiotherapy systems:

● A linear particle accelerator – this component produces a very precise beam of radiation

● A robotic arm – the robotic arm allows cyberknife radiation to be directed at any part of the patient’s body and from any direction

These components allow oncologists to treat areas that were previously unapproachable. Cyberknife treatment is especially suitable for patients who cannot benefit from traditional radiation therapy, cancer surgery or chemotherapy.

A typical cyberknife treatment consists of one to five radiation sessions. Each cyberknife treatment delivers around 150 beams of radiation to the cancerous area. The Cyberknife system tracks the tumor inside the patient’s body during the time which the beams are delivered, ensuring great precision and little or no damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Cyberknife treatment has little or no side effects and the procedure doesn’t require any incisions or anesthesia – it’s simple, very effective and no recovery time is needed.

Preparation

Patients must go through several tests in order to determine the location, shape, and size of the tumor. CT scans, MRIs or angiographies may be performed. All data gathered during these tests is fed into the Cyberknife system and an oncologist will prepare the patient’s treatment plan. The treatment plan includes the targeted areas and the radiation dose necessary to treat the tumor.

How It Is Performed

The patient will be asked to sit comfortably on a treatment table. The procedure is painless, so anesthesia is not necessary during treatment. Patients are required to sit in a plastic mold that will maintain their position between 40 and 90 minutes – during this time the Cyberknife system will send beams of radiation into the patient’s tumor. Real-time images are taken during the procedure, in order to ensure that the tumor has not moved or in order to make adjustments. Most patients require between one and five visits for cyberknife treatment.

Recovery

Patients may return home immediately after the cyberknife treatment. There is no recovery time for this procedure and most patients return to their normal activities in the same day.

Risks

Cyberknife treatment risks and complications depend on the treated area. Most patients can expect fatigue and some weight loss after cyberknife treatment.

Side Effects

Cyberknife side effects are very rare but they can occur. These side effects can occur after the treatment is complete or during the treatment session. It’s important to note that side effects depend heavily on the treated area.

General Cyberknife treatment side effects can include:

● Headaches

● Nausea

Success Rates

A study based on 160 patients suffering from advanced high-risk tumors revealed a 73.13% average success rate for cyberknife treatment: for 18 patients the tumors disappeared, for 99 the tumors shrunk considerably, 35 were unchanged and 8 were enlarged.

Before And After

Once the cyberknife treatment is over, patients will be able to resume their normal activities but follow-up tests will be necessary for a couple of months. These tests are done in order to monitor the tumor’s response to treatment.

Faq

– How is cyberknife treatment different from traditional radiation therapy?

Traditional radiation therapy can affect surrounding healthy tissue and it can also lead to complications such as cancer.

– Cyberknife vs Gamma Knife – What is the difference?

Gamma knife is used specifically to treat tumors of the neck, head, and brain, while Cyberknife treatment can be used for other parts of the body as well.

– Is Cyberknife treatment painful?

It’s not painful at all and you may resume your activities immediately.