CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Read the 2010 CyberKnife Radiosurgery 5-Year Report
The University of Tennessee Medical Center treats patients with many conditions using the revolutionary CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery System since starting the treatment in January 2005.

The Brain and Spine Institute and Cancer Institute at UT Medical Center are proud to be the only facility in Knoxville to offer the CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery System for cancer treatment. CyberKnife’s revolutionary technology enables treatment of tumors throughout the body at greater convenience and comfort to the patient than other radiosurgery systems for tumors and cancer treatment, including successful treatment of tumors of the brain; tumors of the spine; and tumors related to lung cancer, liver cancer and prostate cancer.

CyberKnife, a non-invasive, image guided, high-energy radiation treatment, often is used for tumors treatment and is capable of treatment throughout the entire body. CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery delivers precise beams of radiation from many angles outside the body without requiring the use of a metal head frame used in previous treatments such as Gamma Knife. The accuracy is so precise, in fact, that radiation can be matched to the shape of small complex tumors—even those close to critical organs. This technology is able to treat conditions such as lung cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer, trigeminal neuralgia, neck and spinal tumors and many lesions, even tumors that are considered inoperable or untreatable with surgery or other options.

What is Stereotactic Radiosurgery?
What is CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery?
How is CyberKnife different from other stereotactic radiosurgery systems?
What makes CyberKnife unique?
What can I expect from a typical CyberKnife treatment process?
What kind of care will I receive from the CyberKnife team?
How does the CyberKnife System Work?
Which conditions can be treated with CyberKnife?
CyberKnife Patient Instructions
CyberKnife Patient Guide
CyberKnife Resources

What is Stereotactic Radiosurgery?
Stereotactic radiosurgery is a medical procedure that utilizes very accurately targeted, large dose(s) of radiation. This procedure has proven to be an effective alternative to surgery, neurosurgery or conventional radiation for treating many types of tumors / cancer, including lung cancer and prostate cancer.

What is CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery?
CyberKnife is an entirely new approach to radiosurgery. It is the first and only robotic radiosurgery device that uses a linear accelerator mounted on a computer-controlled robotic arm to treat tumors in the head, neck, spine and areas throughout the body. Also, patients with “untreatable” or “unreachable” tumors by conventional radiation or neurosurgery, may benefit from this unique procedure.

How is CyberKnife different from other stereotactic radiosurgery systems?
The unique combination of technologies allows the CyberKnife to overcome the limitations of other radiosurgery systems such as Gamma Knife. Traditional stereotactic techniques, including the Gamma Knife, rely on a rigid metal frame anchored to a patient’s skull for head immobilization and target localization. Such frame-based systems have numerous limitations.

• Restricts treatment to the brain area only
• Limits the possible angles from which radiation can be delivered
• Causes considerable discomfort for the patient when the frame is bolted into the skull and while it remains in place during planning and throughout treatment

CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery, on the other hand, has many unique features to treat tumors, including a computer-controlled robotic arm that provides access to lesions/tumors unreachable by most other stereotactic radiosurgery systems. The CyberKnife system’s inherent and unique maneuverability offers the clinician the widest range of treatment options available with any stereotactic radiosurgery system.

What makes CyberKnife unique?

Compared to other radiosurgical treatments, the CyberKnife offers several advantages to patients, including the ability to treat tumors anywhere in the body as well as using special techniques for treatment delivery. These advanced techniques allow treatments to be more accurate and less damaging to healthy tissue.

• Frameless – The ability of the CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery System to correct for patient movement during treatment eliminates the pain and inconvenience associated with the invasive head frame. The system repeatedly confirms target location in relationship to skeletal structure by processing radiographic images and correlating them to previously obtained CT scans. Published studies have shown that frameless CyberKnife radiosurgery is as accurate as traditional frame-based radiosurgery such as Gamma Knife. The CyberKnife system is the only stereotactic radiosurgery system that uses the body’s skeletal structure as a reference frame.
• Full body capability –The unique design of the CyberKnife System, with the placement of small markers near the tumor, allows radiation to be administered to tumors throughout the body including the spine as well as to soft tissues such as the lungs, liver, kidneys and other organs, which is quite different from traditional treatments such as Gamma Knife.
• Painless treatment – CyberKnife delivers painless treatment in a radiosurgery suite. The number of treatments varies from patient to patient, depending on tumor size and location. Treatments can be delivered in one to five sessions, each lasting about one hour. After each treatment, patients usually can resume their daily activities. Patients receiving more than one treatment typically complete the process on successive days.
• No recovery time – CyberKnife treatment greatly reduces the risk of complications and lengthy recovery time for patients who traditionally would have undergone surgical excision.
• Outpatient service
• Minimal side effects, if any

What can I expect from a typical CyberKnife treatment process?
There are general steps to follow as you go through your CyberKnife treatment to fight cancer / tumors. The CyberKnife nurse coordinator will make arrangements for the planning studies/services and verify your insurance coverage. They will keep you informed regarding appointments and specific instructions regarding diet, medications, blood work or need for a driver. Let us know if you have concerns regarding pain, anxiety or other issues.

What kind of care will I receive from the CyberKnife team?
The CyberKnife team at UT Medical Center consists of radiation oncologists, neurosurgeons and other surgical sub specialists, physicists, radiation therapists and nurses to ensure the highest quality of care possible. The team’s patient-centered care will carefully guide you though each step of your cancer / tumor treatment.

For additional information, please contact the CyberKnife Center at 865.305.6889.

For more information, see lung, liver and prostate cancers.

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