The name CyberKnife may conjure images from science fiction. Is it computer-guided surgery? Is it a knife made out of radiation? The reality of CyberKnife radiation is even more exciting.
For people with cancer and other tumors, CyberKnife delivers precise, targeted doses of radiation anywhere in your body. It does this:
- Without using surgery
- With minimal damage to noncancerous tissue
CyberKnife is a type of radiation therapy called stereotactic radiosurgery. Unlike conventional radiation therapy, it uses advanced technology to focus radiation from multiple nuanced angles. This approach reduces exposure to surrounding healthy tissue and allows for highly effective treatment with fewer side effects.
Let’s learn more about how CyberKnife works, what it’s used for and what the CyberKnife experience is like.
What Is CyberKnife?
The CyberKnife System uses a robot-mounted linear accelerator that precisely delivers electromagnetic radiation, or photons, to small, specific locations.
- Linear accelerator: A device to speed up charged electrons and create a radiation beam
- Photons: High-energy X-rays
The CyberKnife robot is quite large—7 feet long and almost that tall. Looking something like a large crane, it has a stationary base, but its arm can move all around your body, focusing the radiation exactly where it needs to go.
In addition to the robot, the CyberKnife System includes image-guidance tracking equipment that continuously monitors your tumor’s location and your movements. This allows the CyberKnife to correct itself in real time if, for example, your tumor shifts due to bodily processes or you sneeze during treatment.
Who Can Benefit From CyberKnife?
Oncologists use CyberKnife treatments for many kinds of cancers, including:
- Acoustic neuroma
- Breast cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Lung cancer
- Melanoma of the eye
- Pancreatic cancer
- Pituitary cancer
- Primary and metastatic brain tumors
- Prostate cancer
CyberKnife may also be used to treat noncancerous conditions, including:
- Arteriovenous malformation and other blood vessel problems
- Epilepsy
- Parkinson’s disease
- Tremors
- Trigeminal neuralgia
Am I a Candidate?
CyberKnife treatment may not be suitable for everyone, but it can benefit certain people. You’re more likely to be a candidate for CyberKnife if you:
- Cannot have traditional surgery due to age or other health conditions
- Have a tumor that’s close to a vital organ
- Have a tumor that’s small or hard to access
- Have already had radiation therapy for your cancer
Your doctor will help you understand the risks and benefits of CyberKnife compared with other radiation oncology procedures or traditional surgery for your individual case.
What to Expect With CyberKnife
About two weeks before your first CyberKnife treatment session, you’ll have small gold pellets implanted to mark your tumor location. A week after that, you’ll get imaging studies that allow your radiation oncology team to develop the best surgical approach for your anatomy and cancer location.
Before each session with CyberKnife, you’ll prepare as you would for traditional surgery—refraining from eating or drinking after midnight, for example. Your care team will also provide you with instructions specific to your procedure, such as not using hair cream before a brain procedure.
At the Treatment Center
A team member will place an IV to deliver any contrast materials, medicine or other fluids you need during treatment. You may wear a special vest to help the CyberKnife detect your breathing or other movements.
While you will need to keep still during treatment, you won’t need to be restrained by head frames or other devices sometimes used in radiation therapy. The CyberKnife will move according to its programmed treatment plan, delivering radiation painlessly to the tumor’s location and making small adjustments as needed.
Each CyberKnife session lasts between 30 minutes and 2 hours, and you’ll typically have four or five sessions over two weeks.
Recovery After CyberKnife
Recovery after CyberKnife looks much like recovery after other radiation therapy, but you may have fewer side effects. Most people go home about an hour after treatment and return to work or other activities the next day.
CyberKnife Side Effects
After treatment with CyberKnife, you may experience minimal side effects, including fatigue, irritated skin or nausea. However, these are usually mild and go away quickly. Rarely, people have long-term side effects such as brain swelling.
The Bottom Line
If you have a tumor or other condition that needs precise treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery, CyberKnife might be the right option for you.
- CyberKnife is accurate to less than a millimeter, reducing side effects and tissue damage.
- CyberKnife’s accuracy lets doctors deliver higher doses of radiation, improving treatment success.
- CyberKnife moves with you and your tumor, accounting for in-treatment motion such as breathing.
Looking for a second opinion about your cancer treatment plan? Request a consultation with a Capital Health Cancer Center oncologist.