CyberKnife®: The Only Noninvasive Option for the Treatment of Tumors
CyberKnife
University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center stays on the leading-edge of technology for patients, providing access to the most sophisticated treatment options. Of the advanced procedures we offer, the CyberKnife is the world’s first and only noninvasive, robotic radiosurgery system. It is designed to treat both cancerous and noncancerous tumors throughout the body including the prostate, lung, brain, spine, liver, pancreas and kidney. In fact, UH is the only hospital in Ohio that offers this treatment.
CyberKnife is a pain-free, nonsurgical technique for patients who have inoperable or surgically complex tumors, or who may be looking for an alternative to surgery. The system delivers beams of high-dose radiation to targeted areas mapped out by a team of UH radiation oncologists. With this extremely precise tool, we are able to spare surrounding healthy tissues. Additional benefits of the CyberKnife system include:
- Minimal to no side effects
- No blood loss
- No incisions
- Little or no recovery time
- Immediate return to daily life
At UH, we remain at the forefront of advanced technology so we can provide the most effective treatments and improve our patients’ quality of life.
What to Expect During a CyberKnife Treatment
The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System
Patients receiving CyberKnife treatment meet with specialists who work as a team to perform this robotic radiosurgery procedure.
Prior to treatment, a radiation oncologist uses a high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scan to determine the size, shape and location of the patient’s tumor.
Following the scanning process, image data is digitally transferred to the CyberKnife system’s workstation where the treatment planning begins.
A qualified clinician then uses CyberKnife software to generate a treatment plan. The plan is used to match the desired radiation dosage to the identified tumor location while limiting radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.
Once a physician develops the treatment plan, the patient is ready to undergo the CyberKnife procedure. After arriving at UH Seidman Cancer Center, patients are comfortably positioned on the treatment table. Then, the CyberKnife system’s computer-controlled robot will slowly move around the patient to various locations, delivering radiation to the tumor.
Each treatment session will last between 30 and 90 minutes, depending on the type of tumor involved. If treatment is being delivered in stages, patients will need to return for additional sessions over several days (typically no more than five), as determined by the patient’s doctor. Patients may experience some minimal side effects, but those often go away within the first week or two after treatment.