Gamma West

Treatments

Cyberknife

The CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System is a viable, non-invasive alternative to surgery for the treatment of tumors anywhere in the body. The treatment – which delivers high doses of radiation to tumors with extreme accuracy – offers new hope to patients who have inoperable or surgically complex tumors, or who may be looking for an alternative to surgery.

The CyberKnife uses a compact linear accelerator (LINAC) mounted on a robotic arm to deliver concentrated beams of radiation to the targeted tumor from multiple positions and angles. Designed to treat tumors anywhere in the body with sub-millimeter accuracy, the CyberKnife System tracks the tumor’s position, detects any tumor or patient movement and automatically corrects the treatment delivery. The CyberKnife uses image-guidance and computer controlled robotics to deliver multiple highly focused beams of radiation that converge at the tumor from virtually any direction. Thus, the tumor receives a cumulative dose of radiation high enough to control or kill the tumor cells while minimizing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. This outpatient procedure does not require anesthesia or invasive stabilizing frames. Most patients experience minimal recovery time and can return to normal activities almost immediately.

Because of its high precision and accuracy, the CyberKnife can non-invasively achieve a surgical-like outcome for lesions of the brain and spine. The CyberKnife is the first and only commercial application of robotic stereotactic radiosurgery for the spine, the spinal cord and other lesions throughout the body.

The patient lies on a table and wears a custom-fit mesh facemask or body immobilizer while the robotic arm controls the linear accelerator and delivers the radiation. Most treatments typically last 30-60 minutes per lesion, after which the patient can get up and go home the same day. Patients being treated for extracranial tumors or lesions may need to undergo placement of fiducials, or "markers" near the tumor, prior to treatment.

CyberKnife patient benefits:

  • Radiation beams may be adjusted to avoid critical organs
  • Dosage distributions adjusted to minimize radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue
  • Treatment of lesions untreatable by open surgery or other radiosurgical systems
  • Lesions that have previously undergone the maximum allowed dose of radiation can be treated
  • Improved comfort due to the elimination of the invasive head-frame
  • Painless
  • No blood loss
  • No scalpel
  • No sedation during treatment
  • No recovery time, always performed as an out-patient procedure
  • Lower risk/fewer complications than traditional open surgery

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