The CyberKnife Advantage for Treating Prostate Cancer

by | May 15, 2024 | Prostate Cancer

The CyberKnife System is the only radiation delivery system that features a linear accelerator (linac) directly mounted on a robot to deliver the high-energy x-rays or photons used in radiation therapy. The robot moves and bends around the patient, to deliver radiation doses from potentially thousands of unique beam angles, significantly expanding the possible positions to concentrate radiation to the tumor while minimizing dose to surrounding healthy tissue. This robotic delivery and real-time image guidance have set the standard for delivery precision and enable stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatments for the full range of tumor types.

Why does precision matter?​

Radiation therapy is a treatment option for many types of tumors throughout the body. Precise and accurate delivery of radiation to the tumor is key to killing cancerous cells while minimizing dose to healthy tissues. Accurate and precise delivery helps minimize irradiation of the healthy tissues surrounding tumors and potentially the risk of side effects, which may lead to better quality of life for the patient both during and after treatment.

Real-time Motion Synchronization

Why does motion management matter? The patient breathes. The patient could change their position or move their head, even slightly. The patient could cough. Muscles tense and relax. The CyberKnife System is the only device designed to accommodate all forms of patient and tumor motion, even while the treatment is being delivered. With its motion adaptive delivery technology, the CyberKnife System enables smaller treatment margins around the tumor, minimizing the amount of healthy tissue exposed to high-dose radiation.

The CyberKnife System uses advanced technologies to track tumors anywhere in the body, while its unique robotic design keeps the radiation on target even while the tumor moves. Before delivering the radiation beam, the CyberKnife System is the only device that verifies the exact tumor position then adjusts the robot to precisely target the tumor. This helps to ensure radiation is delivered to where the tumor is, not to where it was moments before. Additionally, the CyberKnife System features Synchrony, the world’s only real-time adaptive delivery technology. Synchrony adapts the delivery of the radiation treatment to tumors while they are in motion by synchronizing the treatment delivery beam position to the target location precisely and accurately during the delivery of a treatment fraction. The sophisticated motion synchronization technology eliminates the need to use uncomfortable patient restraints, or ask patients to hold their breath for example.

Talk to the prostate cancer experts at the CyberKnife Center of Miami “The Beam of Life” to find out if CyberKnife is an option for you 305-279-2900.

See for yourself how it works. Here is a great demonstration video: https://youtu.be/LwFGnDhZ89k