Cyber Knife Radiosurgery

What is Cyberknife Radiation Therapy?

The first robotic radiosurgery system in the world that is specifically designed to treat tumors located at different parts of the body such as prostate, brain, pancreas, liver and lungs is known as Cyberknife robotic radiosurgery system. This treatment is non-invasive alternative to surgery where high doses of radiation are delivered with extreme accuracy. These high dose radiation beams can be given from any angle by precisely concentrating on the tumor while causing minimum damage to the nearby healthy tissue and significant structures

The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System treats both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors anywhere in the body, including the prostate, lung, brain, spine, liver, pancreas and kidney.It provides a pain-free, non-surgical treatment to the patients with complex tumours which are un operable or too risky to be operated and to the patients who are looking for an alternative to surgery.

• Astrocytoma, Glioma, Glioblastoma Multiforme, Oligodendroglioma : - CyberKnife offers superior conformance to tumour shape, which is important especially for recurrence after surgery and conventional radiotherapy. CyberKnife can also irradiate the tumour bed to delay or prevent recurrence.

• Brain metastases : - Radiosurgery may be equal to surgery for single metastases and better for multiple metastases. Advanced imaging allows CyberKnife® to treat those that are widely dispersed.

• Spinal Tumours : - CyberKnife® is regularly used to treat spinal metastases. It may also serve as a treatment for many primary spinal tumours.

• Pituitary Adenoma : - CyberKnife's® staged treatments may help to avoid or minimize the risk of visual loss and other side effects associated with single-session radiosurgery. Its superior conformance minimizes irradiation of normal tissue, including the optic chiasm and hypothalamus.

• Hemangioblastoma : - CyberKnife® non-invasively treats the tumour nodule, usually in one session, even in hard-to-reach areas. This is especially beneficial for Von Hippel Lindau disease patients who can become disabled by multiple surgeries.

• Skull Base Tumours : - The proximity of these tumours to vital nerve and vascular structures makes them surgically problematic.

• Meningioma :- For smaller meningiomas, radiosurgery is an ideally non-invasive therapy. CyberKnife® is especially safe for meningiomas adjacent to critical structures because it can be delivered in fractions.

• Neurofibroma & Schwannoma : - While these tumours' resistance to radiation makes conventional radiotherapy an option only when surgery is not, CyberKnife's® conformance makes it an effective alternative to radiation therapy and surgery for selected patients.

• Acoustic Neuroma : - Studies show that CyberKnife® treatment in stages offers the highest rates ever achieved for hearing and facial-nerve preservation besides effective control of the tumour-growth.

• Intracranial AVMs : - With CyberKnife®, we can treat locations that can't be safely approached with microsurgery or endovascular therapy. Selected AVMs have an 80% chance of disappearing after a single treatment session though it may take some time. CyberKnife® can also be used in conjunction with other therapies to remove remnants.

• Spinal AVMs : - CyberKnife® is the first and the only system to offer radiosurgical treatment of spinal AVMs .It provides the same or even more accuracy and success as for intracranial AVMs

As a non-invasive “operation”, CyberKnife has proven to be an effective alternative to surgery or conventional radiation for treating vascular abnormalities, tumors, functional disorders, and cancers with sub-millimeter accuracy. CyberKnife gives renewed hope and the possibility of a better quality of life, especially for patients with tumors previously diagnosed as inoperable, and for those who have already received the maximum amount of radiation through other treatment methods.

The CyberKnife uses non-invasive image-guided localization that is more convenient and less traumatic than other systems using the standard invasive stereotactic headframe (a rigid metal frame fixed to a patient’s skull for head immobilization and target localization). CyberKnife also uses an advanced, lightweight linear accelerator (LINAC), a device used to produce a high dose of radiation.

In addition, CyberKnife also has a robotic delivery system that not only provides the flexibility to reach areas of the body unreachable by other systems, but is also instrumental in precisely aiming the device.

The robotic delivery system integrates motion-tracking software, called the Synchrony System, with the robotics, making it accurate enough to even hit a moving target. As a patient breathes or moves slightly during treatment, the robot detects the motion and compensates in ‘real time’, ensuring that the radiation is accurately hitting the target (tumor) throughout treatment.

CyberKnife can strike the tumor with a high dose of radiation from over 1200 different angles. This pinpoint accuracy allows malignant or benign tumors to be obliterated without damaging critical healthy tissue.

The Cyberknife Robotic Radiosurgery System is a dedicated radiosurgery device in the world. Radiosurgery with Cyberknife system is not restricted for treating tumors in the neck and head.

• Non-Invasive : This procedure does not need any invasive body or head frames.

• Accurate : The minimal harm is caused to the nearby healthy tissues. High-doses of radiation are delivered with sub-millimeter accuracy.

• Beneficial : This system offers non-invasive and pain-free alternative for many patients especially for those who are diagnosed with surgically complex tumors, inoperable tumors or who are searching for an alternative to surgery.

• Robotic : This system repeatedly detects the tumor or tracks the position of the tumor, the movement of a patient and it also corrects the delivery of the treatment.

• Flexible : The traditional radiation systems just cannot offer versatility and maneuverability that the Cyberknife system offers.

Patients across the world have been successfully treated with the CyberKnife System.

• Pain free

• Non-invasive

• No anesthesia required

• Outpatient procedure

• No recovery time

• Immediate return to normal activity

• No invasive head or body frame

• No breath holding during treatment

Cyberknife treatment for cancer is a relatively new treatment option, and is thus both rare and expensive. One good news for all those patients who have been craving this treatment but are scared about the expenses is that medical tourist centers in India offer Cyberknife surgery at costs which are a fraction of what one would find in the US. The treatment is at par with what one would find in the western nations and utmost professional care is provided both before and after the surgery.

There was a time, when cancer patients from India were flying to other countries for their treatment but thanks to hospitals in India, which has introduced the most advanced Cyberknife Radio Surgery System in Asia Pacific, things are now the other way around. Now, cancer patients from all across the world can receive Cyberknife cancer treatment in one of India’s best hospitals. The technology is much advanced and the cost is a fraction of what you would find in the US

Cyberknife surgery in India is offered at a greatly reduced costs. But this does not mean a compromise on the quality at all. Also, due to the reduced costs, patients can opt for a longer hospital stay. When going in for a Cyberknife treatment in India, there is one thing which you should keep in mind. Hospitals in India usually require a PET CT scan reports or MRI images before they can provide an estimate and accept the patient.