CyberKnife is a precise, safe, and non-invasive radiation therapy that could be used instead of radiotherapy or to open a wound in certain circumstances. The CyberKnife System is a non-surgical treatment option for brain tumours that may assist to minimise the chances of potential side effects that can affect your short-term and long-term quality of life. The CyberKnife provides exceptional clinical outcomes in treating a wide range of brain cancers in fewer visits, by providing stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) procedures with unmatched, sub-millimetre accuracy. The tumour receives a cumulative dosage of radiation during the CyberKnife radiosurgery process to either restrict or eliminate tumour cells whereas radiation exposure to surrounding tissue is avoided. When a patient moves during treatments, the cameras detect the change in location, and the robot compensates by hammering the LINAC prior to giving the radiation beam. This method of beam replacement correction ensures accurate tumour targeting.
Benefits of CyberKnife treatment
- CyberKnife is used to treat malignancies that were previously thought to be inaccessible to surgery or radiotherapy.
- Because this type of radiation therapy tracks the exact location of the target during treatment, there is no need to immobilise the body part being treated.
- Compared to surgery or traditional radiation, this treatment may have fewer side effects and dangers.
- No anaesthetic, incisions, loss of blood, or recuperation time are required.
- There are no overnight hospital stays required, and most patients have minor to no adverse effects and recover fast from radiation therapy.
- One to five outpatient operations are required to complete treatment.
- Exposure to radiation to healthy cells surrounding a tumour location is reduced.
- Lesions that have been previously treated with the maximum allowable radiation doses may be treated as well.
Cancer Types Covered by CyberKnife Treatment
Patients dealing with life-threatening malignancies will benefit greatly from the Cyberknife intervention. Cyberknife can be used to cope with the following situations:
- Brain Cancer
- Liver Cancer
- Arteriovenous malformations
- Bone metastases
- Non-Cancerous Tumours
- Breast Cancer
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Esophageal cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Cancerous Spine Tumours
- Head and Neck Cancer
Framework of the CyberKnife treatment
This Cyberknife’s unique method provides a noninvasive, surgical-like solution for tumors of the spine and brain. It’s the first and only time autonomously stereotactic radiosurgery for the spine and spinal cord has been used in industry. Furthermore, as with staged radiosurgical operations, this technology allows the Cyberknife platform to be used for radiosurgical programmes away from the mind. Several X-ray cameras and sophisticated algorithms are used in the treatment system to pinpoint the exact site of a tumour. A linear accelerator is used to aim high-powered beams straight at the tumour from more than 1,400 distinct angles using a robotic arm. The robotic arm’s versatility is unrivalled. The beams can even be focused towards hard-to-reach parts of the body. The rays are so exact that they only focus on the tumour, minimising dosage to healthy tissue in the surrounding area.
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What distinguishes CyberKnife from other chemotherapeutics?
When compared to traditional radiation therapy, surgery, or chemotherapy, CyberKnife radiosurgery is a less invasive, focused therapy that requires fewer sessions and has virtually no side effects. Tumor surgery entails cutting into the patient to eliminate the undesirable mass as well as any surrounding tissue. Surgery is the oldest kind of cancer treatment, and surgical techniques are improving all the time. Traditional surgery often necessitates the patient taking a few weeks off work to properly recover.
Unlike treatments that affect the entire body, such as chemotherapy or open surgery, CyberKnife simply treats a tiny, focused area of the body with no incisions. Patients will experience minimal discomfort and have little to no recovery or downtime as a result of this.
Risks associated to CyberKnife treatment
Despite the precision of CyberKnife treatment, there is a danger of tissue damage around the treated area. However, when compared to other forms of radiation therapy, the dangers associated with CyberKnife treatment are significantly reduced.
Swelling of the brain can develop in persons who get brain therapy. Swelling normally dissipates on its own. However, some people may require medication to reduce edoema. Radiation-induced brain swelling may necessitate surgery involving incisions (open surgery) in rare circumstances.
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Cyberknife studies shows high survival rate and negligible toxicity
Low-risk patients had a 97 % to 100 % survival rate, while intermediate-risk patients had an 88 % to 97 % survival rate, according to data from multicenter studies. The survival percentage for low-risk individuals was significantly higher than the 92 % to 94 % predicted by past data on traditional radiation therapy. Furthermore, the survival rates of intermediate-risk patients were greater than the historical survival rates of 85 % to 90 %.
Short-term effects of CyberKnife treatment in people with advanced high-risk malignancies were evaluated in a study. CyberKnife was used to treat 201 target regions from 341 advanced high-risk malignant lesions in 160 individuals. It revealed that CyberKnife could be a viable choice for patients having incurable advanced high-risk malignancies.
The CyberKnife System is based on more than 30 years of radiation technology. Thousands of patients have had CyberKnife treatments all throughout the world, with several clinical studies published in peer-reviewed medical publications. There is no anaesthesia, no incision, no blood, and no discomfort or unpleasant anaesthesia side effects following the procedure. CyberKnife treatment spares healthy tissue around the targeted area due to its precision, which is not possible with standard radiation therapy. Patients who have been administered failed therapy or treatments with limited effectiveness, as well as elderly patients with comorbidities, may benefit from CyberKnife treatment.
