Overview
CyberKnife device is used in the treatment of benign and malignant brain tumors, metastases, tumors in and around the eye, abnormalities in arteries and veins, and some functional diseases.
Apart from these, this method is also used in the treatment of lung cancers, head and neck cancers, prostate cancers, spinal cord and spine tumors, pancreatic cancers, liver tumors, and some rare metastases that cannot be treated with other methods.
CyberKnife, a linear accelerator placed on robots used in industry, is based on the principle of delivering high doses of radiation by entering coordinates in three dimensions. It is possible to apply this treatment in more than one session.
It can also be used in tumors that have received radiotherapy before but where the disease reappears in the same area. During this treatment, there is no need to use an invasive frame to prevent movement in the head or body, and tumor follow-up can be performed.
How is it applied?
Before the CyberKnife application, a plastic mask is placed on the patient's face. Then, during the treatment, they are placed on a robot-controlled table that can move in 6 directions.
In this method, an image capture system is used that determines the location of the tumor, monitors the changes that will occur in the tumor and changes the patient's position.
Thus, tumors in the lung and liver displaced by respiration can be treated. During the treatment, the patient does not need to hold their breath or breathe regularly.
The system compares the patient's Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance (MR) images taken before the treatment with the snapshots taken during the treatment. The tumor coordinates obtained from here are evaluated instantly with the help of computers and the radiation dose is adjusted.
In this way, it is ensured that the treatment is not affected by the patient's small movements. While the treatment is limited to the tumor, healthy tissues around the tumor are also preserved.
With the CyberKnife device, which uses a computer-controlled robot, the treatment is completed by making turns around the patient and irradiating it from hundreds of angles.
What are the advantages of CyberKnife method for the patient?
In the CyberKnife radiosurgery system, patients feel no pain. Since no surgical incision is made, the wound does not occur. Since it is not an invasive method, anesthesia is not required. Since it is an outpatient treatment method, no hospitalization is required.
It protects the healthy tissues and organs surrounding the tumor with high accuracy rates, so it has low side effects. Patients do not need to experience stress by holding their breath during the treatment.
This method is usually applied as 5 sessions, but the application time is longer than conventional radiotherapy.