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