CyberKnife is an advanced technology
that delivers a specialized form of radiation therapy called stereotactic body
radiation therapy. It is made up of a machine that generates a radiation beam, which
is attached to a highly maneuverable robotic arm.
“Fight cancer
with five or fewer treatments.” (Louisville CyberKnife)
During CyberKnife procedures, patients
lie on a treatment table while the machine’s robotic arm moves around their
body delivering high doses of radiation directly to their tumor with pinpoint
precision. Here are some important points about CyberKnife that you should
know:
1.
Clinical
outcomes are similar to surgery, but with fewer side effects:
For decades, surgery has been the standard of care treatment, but the
technological advances seen with CyberKnife are quickly changing the example.
In many clinical situations, CyberKnife has local control and
effectiveness that is equivalent to surgery. Due to its non-invasive
nature, the risk of side effects is significantly lower with CyberKnife.
2.
Real-time tumor
tracking results in less radiation to the nearby normal tissues:
In any situation where the tumor may move during treatment, gold fiducials
(markers) may be implanted into the tumor. During treatment, the
CyberKnife tracks the movement of the markers to account for changes in the
position of the tumor.
The real-time tumor tracking and high degree of precision
allows for a much smaller safety margin to be placed around the tumor, which
results in less radiation to the surrounding healthy tissues compared to other
treatment machines.
3.
The CyberKnife
is extremely convenient: Unlike surgery, which
requires hospitalization and recovery time, the non-invasive nature of
CyberKnife allows for outpatient treatments and an immediate return to your
normal activities.
Additionally, unlike conventional radiotherapy treatments
which can take up to 9 weeks or surgery which can require up to 10 weeks of
recovery time, treatment with CyberKnife is completed in a week or less. Each
CyberKnife treatment takes 20-60 minutes (depending upon the complexity of the
radiosurgery plan).
4.
The CyberKnife
is extremely versatile: While the CyberKnife was
initially created to treat lesions in the brain, its use has expanded to treat
lesions in the spine, lung, liver, pancreas, kidney, prostate and bone.
For lesions in the brain that are inoperable, complex or are
larger than 3 cm, the CyberKnife can deliver multiple treatments (compared to a
single treatment with other radiosurgery machines), resulting in better control
of the tumor and a lower risk of side effects.
“Everything heals. Your body heals. Your heart
heals. The mind heals. Wounds heal. Your soul repairs itself. Your happiness is
always going to come back. Bad times don’t last.”
(Christiana Rutkowski)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“5
Things to Know about CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery” by William Magnuson, M.D.
·
“CyberKnife® Advantage” by Columbus CyberKnife
Inspired by a commercial for Columbus CyberKnife
No comments:
Post a Comment