The Cyberknife® robotic radiosurgery system is a non-invasive alternative to surgery for the treatment of both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors anywhere in the body, including the prostate, lung, brain, spine, liver, pancreas and kidney.
The treatment - which delivers beams of high-dose radiation to tumors with extreme accuracy - offers new hope to patients worldwide.
Though its name may conjure images of scalpels and surgery, the CyberKnife treatment involves no cutting. In fact, the CyberKnife system is the world's first and only robotic radiosurgery system designed to treat tumors throughout the body non-invasively. It provides a pain-free, non-surgical option for patients who have inoperable or surgically complex tumors, or who may be looking for an alternative to surgery.
Why is the CyberKnife® system unique?
The CyberKnife® system is a one-of-a-kind device for several reasons.
First, the CyberKnife uses image guidance software to track and continually adjust treatment for any patient or tumor movement. This allows patients to breathe normally and relax comfortably during treatment.
Second, some other forms of radiosurgery, such as Gamma Knife, require rigid headframes that are screwed into the patient's skull to minimize any movement. The CyberKnife does not require such extreme procedures, relying instead on sophisticated tracking software that allows for a much more comfortable and non-invasive treatment.
Third, unlike some systems that can only treat tumors in the head, the CyberKnife can treat a broad range of tumors throughout the body, including the prostate, lung, brain, spine, liver, pancreas and kidney.
And finally, the accuracy of the CyberKnife is unrivaled. It can essentially "paint" the tumor with radiation, precisely delivering treatment to the tumor alone while sparing surrounding healthy tissue.
Sentara.com