Every second German citizen will develop cancer at some point in their lives. Cancer research has made enormous progress in recent years. The chances of recovery from cancer have increased dramatically. The traditional form of cancer therapy is associated with a great deal of psychological stress and massive after-effects for patients. CyberKnife therapy has changed all that.
Since 2002, doctors have been successfully treating tumors in hard-to-reach areas of the body with CyberKnife therapy. High-dose photon radiation and sophisticated robot technology make it possible to remove the diseased tissue without surgical intervention. CyberKnife is also used for previously inoperable tumors in regions such as the brain, spinal cord or spinal column.
A computer-controlled tracking mechanism even enables the radiosurgical treatment of cancerous tissue in the following organs:
Until now, precise irradiation of such organs has been difficult because it moves the respiratory system.
Tumor removal using CyberKnife is a painless and virtually side-effect-free alternative to surgery. The success rate is 90%.
This figure refers to the successful removal of the treated tumors and metastases. However, it does not refer to the final cure of the cancer.
The Cyberknife is a radiosurgical radiotherapy device that is suitable for treating tumors all over the body @ Danish Khan /AdobeStock
Anyone reading "CyberKnife" for the first time is more likely to think of cosmetic surgery than radiation oncology. However, behind the term lies a highly sophisticated technology that opens up new possibilities for doctors and patients. The Cyberknife system consists of a combination of digital image-guided robot technology and a high-precision radiation device.
A flexible robotic arm connects the photon emitter to the computer-controlled localization system via six joints. This provides precise images of the area to be treated in real time.The patient lies on a couch that can be aligned in five axes. In this way, the system also has access to areas of the body that are particularly difficult to reach.
With its dynamic position correction, the system uses real-time tracking to follow all patient movements within a range of ten millimetres.
To do this, it regularly takes X-ray images and compares them with the original images. This makes it possible to compensate for respiratory movements instead of immobilizing the patient or artificially interrupting breathing.
Linear accelerated X-rays are directed at the tumor in up to 1,200 directions. The individual photon beams are weak, but develop a crossfire effect at the target site. This means that the surrounding tissue is largely spared.
A study published at the World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering in 2006 confirms that the CyberKnife has sub-millimeter accuracy.
In many cases, radiosurgery using CyberKnife technology is a good alternative to surgery or several weeks of radiotherapy. The procedure takes 45 to 90 minutes and is performed on an outpatient basis. One session is usually sufficient to treat the tumor . In individual cases, doctors can also spread the radiation dose over four or five sessions.
Doctors usually use the CyberKnife for tumors that are not too large and have sharply defined edges. Irregularly shaped tissue can also be efficiently removed in this way.
Operations in highly sensitive areas of the body, such as the vicinity of cerebral blood vessels, the auditory or optic nerve, are possible with the CyberKnife system.
The aim of the treatment is to completely remove the diseased tissue without causing major collateral damage.
Radiosurgical treatment with CyberKnife is appropriate for the following diseases. Its success has been proven by scientific studies:
Benign and malignant diseases of the brain:
Spinal cord and spinal column diseases:
Diseases of the lungs:
Diseases of the liver:
Kidney diseases:
Prostate diseases:
Diseases of the lymph nodes:
Cyberknife delivers the radiation precisely to the tumor without damaging the surrounding tissue @ Danish Khan /AdobeStock
Preparation phase and treatment planning
For tumors in the pancreas, lungs and liver, doctors place markers in the diseased tissue before the procedure. This enables the CyberKnife system to dynamically correct the position in real time.
A custom-made body splint helps the patient to maintain the correct position during treatment.
For treatments in the brain area, an individual grid-shaped mask and a suitable neck support are used in advance. The mask allows the patient to keep their head more still during the radiation treatment.
A neck support ensures comfortable positioning. During treatment, patients can observe everything that is happening around them and communicate with their doctors via a microphone.
Before treatment with the CyberKnife system, doctors carry out a magnetic resonance tomogram (MRI) and a computer tomogram (CT).
After the preparations, medical physicists and oncologists evaluate the available data and transfer it to a planning computer.
Once the characteristics of the tumor are known, the system calculates the angles of incidence and the dosage of photon radiation required. This step requires a lot of computing power and can take more than 20 hours.
On the day of treatment, the patient can have breakfast as normal. Those who regularly take certain medications need not worry about this: As the procedure is completely painless, no anesthetics or painkillers are necessary. There is no risk of unwanted side effects.
Before the procedure, the patient lies down on the operating table and is fitted with a mask or body splint if necessary. Irradiation takes between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on the shape, size and type of tumor.
Apart from tension due to the immobile position, the patient does not experience any after-effects. They can go home on the same day.
As after any other operation, a check-up is carried out approximately four to six months after the procedure . No further measures are necessary.
CyberKnife therapy has revolutionized the treatment of benign and malignant tumours in many areas of oncology . Patients benefit significantly from the non-invasive removal of diseased tissue:
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