CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery - A Giant Leap in Cancer Treatment
The name "CyberKnife" is actually a bit of a misnomer, there are no knives in sight! However, it does allow the ablative treatment of tumours (hence "knife") to be performed painlessly and effectively without the need for an operation by a robotic (hence "cyber") linear accelerator (radiotherapy machine)
Conventional radiotherapy uses large field sizes and just a few radiation beams to treat 'regions' in the body, which means the dose given to the tumour is often limited by the radiation tolerance of the surrounding normal tissues. The latest chemotherapy and 'magic bullet' drugs have been a small step forward, but they have side effects and have generally not lived up to the hype.
Tumours are chaotic, and tend to wrap themselves around, or are close to other vital tissues. This means that the surgeon's skills can be stretched to the limit, or the use of conventional radiotherapy would damage too much healthy tissue. Cancer radiation oncologists need a clear image of the exact location of the tumour (with all its irregularities) so that the delivery of radiation can be accurately pinpointed to these parts, and these parts alone. This is where CyberKnife® comes in.
What can CyberKnife® treat?
The treatment is so accurate that it is now possible to treat tumours previously thought to be untreatable. Although the results of treatment do not always show immediately, in most cases the procedure will initially stop the growth of tumours before gradually reducing their size.
As there is no open surgery, the complications normally associated with an operation are eliminated, as is the need for a long recovery time. This makes treatment suitable for those who are not well enough to cope with the side-effects of surgery and most patients leave the clinic the same day as their treatment.
Major operations such as lung and liver resections, removal of pancreas and prostatectomy now have a viable alternative option with this technique.
The future
The potential for this form of instrumentation is incredible, and the next few years will see some exciting new developments in cancer treatment. Trials are now well underway including a study of CyberKnife® compared with conventional surgery for stage 1 or 2 lung cancer. CyberKnife® is being tested in functional brain disorders such as epilepsy and Parkinsons' Disease, and there are plans to extend the application of the therapy to correct electrical disturbances in the heart (as an alternative to catheter ablation). CyberKnife® is also being trialled in early breast cancer.
About the author
Dr Andrew Gaya is a consultant clinical oncologist at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and The Harley Street Clinic. He specialises in the treatment of solid tumours using chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and biological therapies.
About totalhealth
totalhealth provides authoritative medical information in plain English. Including more articles on Cyberknife surgery.
(c) Copyright - Total Health World Ltd
Conventional radiotherapy uses large field sizes and just a few radiation beams to treat 'regions' in the body, which means the dose given to the tumour is often limited by the radiation tolerance of the surrounding normal tissues. The latest chemotherapy and 'magic bullet' drugs have been a small step forward, but they have side effects and have generally not lived up to the hype.
Tumours are chaotic, and tend to wrap themselves around, or are close to other vital tissues. This means that the surgeon's skills can be stretched to the limit, or the use of conventional radiotherapy would damage too much healthy tissue. Cancer radiation oncologists need a clear image of the exact location of the tumour (with all its irregularities) so that the delivery of radiation can be accurately pinpointed to these parts, and these parts alone. This is where CyberKnife® comes in.
What can CyberKnife® treat?
The treatment is so accurate that it is now possible to treat tumours previously thought to be untreatable. Although the results of treatment do not always show immediately, in most cases the procedure will initially stop the growth of tumours before gradually reducing their size.
As there is no open surgery, the complications normally associated with an operation are eliminated, as is the need for a long recovery time. This makes treatment suitable for those who are not well enough to cope with the side-effects of surgery and most patients leave the clinic the same day as their treatment.
Major operations such as lung and liver resections, removal of pancreas and prostatectomy now have a viable alternative option with this technique.
The future
The potential for this form of instrumentation is incredible, and the next few years will see some exciting new developments in cancer treatment. Trials are now well underway including a study of CyberKnife® compared with conventional surgery for stage 1 or 2 lung cancer. CyberKnife® is being tested in functional brain disorders such as epilepsy and Parkinsons' Disease, and there are plans to extend the application of the therapy to correct electrical disturbances in the heart (as an alternative to catheter ablation). CyberKnife® is also being trialled in early breast cancer.
About the author
Dr Andrew Gaya is a consultant clinical oncologist at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and The Harley Street Clinic. He specialises in the treatment of solid tumours using chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and biological therapies.
About totalhealth
totalhealth provides authoritative medical information in plain English. Including more articles on Cyberknife surgery.
(c) Copyright - Total Health World Ltd
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