An effective, less disruptive treatment option
The precision of the CyberKnife System enables a maximum dose of radiation to be delivered to the target — while helping to minimize radiation exposure to the spinal cord and surrounding healthy tissues. The result is highly effective treatment that eliminates many of the inconveniences of surgical intervention and conventional radiotherapy — and significantly reduces the risk of side effects, helping to protect quality of life both during and after treatment. In fact, the hypofractionated, high-dose radiosurgery delivered by the CyberKnife System has emerged as an important alternative to conventional treatments, rapidly delivering proven tumor control, as well as reliable pain relief in the treatment of spine cancers.
CYBERKNIFE VS. SURGERY
CyberKnife treatment is an outpatient procedure that does not require incisions or general anesthesia. Most patients will not require hospitalization or a long recovery period.
CYBERKNIFE VS. CONVENTIONAL RADIATION THERAPY
CyberKnife treatment is completed in as little as 1-5 sessions in 1-2 weeks, compared to 10-15 sessions over 2-3 weeks with conventional radiation therapy.
Spinal Cancer
Unrivalled precision when it matters most.
The spinal cord relays messages from the brain to different parts of your body, allowing your organs to function and enabling you to control your movements, such as walking. That’s why when it comes to treating tumors in or near the complex and delicate tissues, and structures, of the spine, precision matters. The CyberKnife® System is a non-invasive, non-surgical, pain-free treatment option for treating cancers and/or metastases at any point on the spine — including complicated neurosurgical cases.
What is CyberKnife treatment?
The CyberKnife System is the first and only radiotherapy device that brings true robotic precision and the ability to track, detect and adapt for tumor motion in real-time, to the treatment of cancer. The system treats spine lesions with a procedure called stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in a single or just a few sessions, delivering high doses of precisely targeted radiation to destroy the tumors, while minimizing radiation exposure to nearby healthy tissues surrounding the tumor. The CyberKnife Systems delivers effective tumor control and may provide significant pain relief following treatment of spine tumors.1 The unrivaled, sub-millimeter accuracy of CyberKnife SRS enables patients who are ineligible for surgery, or whose tumors cannot be completely removed surgically, to receive treatment.
Key CyberKnife® treatment benefits
- Non-surgical and non-invasive
- Very good local control of the tumor
- Significantly reduced incidence of common side effects
- Treatments typically completed in 1-5 treatment sessions in 1-2 weeks
- Most patients can continue normal activity throughout treatment
Potential side effects of CyberKnife® treatment for spine cancer:
Treatment with the CyberKnife System is well-tolerated with a low risk of toxicity. Side effects associated with CyberKnife treatment are usually mild and temporary. As with any radiation treatment, side effects can also be severe in some patients and lead to permanent injury or even death. Discuss your specific case with your physician(s) to fully understand the potential risks associated with your treatment. Possible side effects could include, but are not limited to:
- Fatigue
- Temporary skin changes such as redness, tenderness, itchiness, or rash
- Dysphagia (inability to eat) for patients with upper spine treatments
- Esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus) for patients with upper spine treatments
- Transient myelitis (may require corticosteroid treatment)
- Spinal cord injury
- Spinal cord (bone) injury
- Exposure to nearby tissue
- Tingling
Ask your doctor for more details about potential side effects associated with your specific radiation therapy treatment.
Managing side effects with your medical team
Prior to beginning CyberKnife treatment, your medical team will discuss all possible side effects and may prescribe medication to control any side effects, should they occur.
Protecting healthy tissue — protecting quality of life.
Treatment with the CyberKnife System is well-tolerated with a low risk of toxicity. Despite the high dose rate associated with SRS, the CyberKnife has been proven to deliver radiation with sub-millimeter accuracy, which means minimal radiation is delivered to the healthy tissues that surround the spinal tumor or the spinal cord itself