CyberKnife: Patient-friendly Nonsurgical Robotic Cancer Treatment

“The revolutionary CyberKnife system delivers very precise radiation to tumors with extreme efficacy making the treatment surprisingly painless. This latest patient-first innovation gives patient greater control with better quality of life” The CyberKnife is the first and only FDA approved non-surgical robotic radiation treatment system that treats tumors throughout the body, including prostate, lung, brain, spine, head and neck, liver, pancreas, kidney, and certain gynecologic indications. Unlike its name, CyberKnife is not involved in any surgical procedure. In fact, it’s the best alternative to traditional surgical removal of tumors. It is a real boon for cancer patients as it does not typically require anaesthesia or an overnight hospital stay. CyberKnife treatment is best suited for patients who cannot undergo surgical procedures because of the location or size of the tumour.

CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery: A Breakthrough Radiotherapy for cancer patients

Radiation therapy makes the use of focused beams of intense energy to destroy cancer cells and prevent the further growth of tumours. Radiation therapy also works by preventing targeted cells from multiplying. The main aim of radiation therapy is to destroy the harmful cancerous cells while minimizing damage to healthy cells.

The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System is a painless and noninvasive outpatient cancer treatment with minimal to no side effects.  It delivers very high doses of radiation to cancerous and noncancerous with extreme accuracy.  The System allows physicians to destroy the target tumour completely without harming the surrounding healthy tissue.  Radiation is delivered more accurately and one to five sessions are required for the treatment. As a result, the CyberKnife treatment has the highest patients compliance.

How CyberKnife Works?

CyberKnife uses a combination of image guidance technology and computer-controlled robotics to continuously track, detect and correct for tumour and patient movements throughout the treatment, ensuring accuracy and efficiency.

CyberKnife Procedures

For CyberKnife procedures, patients will be asked to lie on a treatment table and the machine’s robotic arm moves around their body. It delivers high doses of radiation directly to their tumour with pinpoint precision.  Depending on the size, shape and location of the tumour treatment sessions typically last 30 – 90 minutes. Whereas,  conventional radiation therapy treatments, including proton therapy, require as many as 40 sessions.

CyberKnife: Patient Benefits

The CyberKnife System is approved by the USFDA in 1999 to treat head and skull disease. As of now, CyberKnife has benefited more than 100,000 patients worldwide.

The advantages of cancer treatment using the CyberKnife include:

●                Noninvasive Procedure: Procedures are non-surgical and painless for the patient.

●                Greater Flexibility: Using a fully integrated robotic delivery system, the CyberKnife allows for superior reach and manoeuvrability.

●                Frameless Structure: Unlike conventional radiosurgical technology, CyberKnife uses the skeletal structure of the body rather than invasive metal frames and skull pins as a reference point for identifying the tumour position throughout treatment.

●                Unmatched Precision and Accuracy: CyberKnife treatment is powered by robotic tracking technology that tracks tumour location continuously, very useful for respiratory tumours that move when the patient breathes.

●                Multiple Treatment sessions: CyberKnife patient does not need to wait in the hospital after the treatment is finished unlike frame-based procedures, where the entire process must be performed in a single day. CyberKnife treatment sessions typically last between 30 and 90 minutes, depending on the dose and the tumor shape. Physicians can decide to treat the tumour in a single dose or over several sessions.

●                Minimal complications: Treatment with CyberKnife has less risk of complications such as infection, haemorrhage and other complications which are occasionally associated with conventional surgery.

●                Better Quality of Life: Patients are free from hospital stays, minimal recovery periods, less pain, no blood loss and no need for hair shaving. Patients can live a normal life without disruptions.

Treatable Tumors, Lesions and Conditions: CyberKnife treats tumors anywhere in the body. This technique can be used to treat patients for thoracic, head, neck spine, prostate, liver and pancreas cancer and more, can be treated as indicated below. 

Cancer treatment in India is a unique concurrence of best quality and cost advantage. The benefit is unimaginable when it comes to major treatments such as for Cancer where the difference in cost is 10 to 20 times. Furthermore, India offers a good number of high-end cancer hospitals who are always ready to give quick and immediate attention for cancer treatment without any waiting time.

From the quality of therapy, the range of procedural and treatment options available, infrastructure and skilled manpower to perform any medical procedure with zero waiting time with the affordable cost of treatment are the major benefits of travelling for medical treatment in India are many.