CyberKnife is actually the brand name of the medical equipment that is responsible for providing the body stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) that is used to kill the cancer cells. CyberKnife treatment is sone external by using an external beam radiation. CyberKnife treatment mostly adopted for prostate cancer treatment but also other types of cancer.
CyberKnife may consist of the word “knife”, but there are no cuts or incisions, and it is a minimally invasive procedure, which also sometimes called “radiosurgery”, the only robotic procedure to treat cancer cells or tumors in the body through non-invasive procedures.
SBRT deliver large doses of intense radiation to accurately hit the tumor cells. This is done by using the image-guided technique so that only cancer cells are killed while avoiding any damage to the other healthy tissues and organs.
Because the SBRT technique that the CyberKnife treatment uses, which targets particular areas containing the tumor, CyberKnife treatment is comparatively better than the conventional radiation therapy as the former takes few days while the latter can take as much as eight to nine weeks of treatment to get complete.
CyberKnife treatment is a very good option for those diagnosed with an early stage prostate cancer. Sometimes the CyberKnife treatment is also combined with other forms of cancer treatments like hormone therapy if cancer has progressed and spread to other tissues as well.
Sometimes CyberKnife treatment is also used in cancer patients who have reached an advanced stage, CyberKnife treatment can retard the progression of cancer cells to the neighbouring tissues.
Advantages of CyberKnife Treatment over Traditional Treatments
There are some advantages of CyberKnife treatment over other traditional treatments like chemotherapy, radiation therapy etc. They are:
• CyberKnife treatment procedure does not involve any incisions or pain, in comparison to the cancer surgery.
• You may not need an anaesthesia and can be discharged the same day.
• After the CyberKnife treatment procedure, you can resume your normal activities.
• CyberKnife treatment takes lesser time than conventional radiation or chemotherapy.
• The recovery period is fast and doesn't take additional time as chemotherapy and radiotherapy do.
Another type of radiation used for prostate surgery is Tomotherapy radiation treatment which uses intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), which delivers the radiation to the cancer spot in slices. The word Tomotherapy has emerged from a Greek prefix – tomo, which means slice.
Tomotherapy treatment is similar to CyberKnife treatment technique as it uses powerful and precise radiation beams to hit the inoperable tumors without damaging healthy tissues. The inbuilt CT scanning in the IMRT aids in determining the size and position of the tumor before the tomotherapy treatment starts.
CyberKnife Treatment Procedure
Before the getting started with the CyberKnife treatment, the doctor will first run tests like MRI, CT or CT/PET scan is taken in order to assess the size, shape and location of the tumor. After which, you will be placed on the table in a specific position. You’ll be placed in the proper position on a table. After you take your position, a computer-controlled robot will be moving around the table you are placed on and will detect and throw radiation on the sites specifically containing the tumor. The robotic software will automatically adapt and adjust the radiation according to your breathing pattern and any movement of the tumor.
Each CyberKnife treatment session takes around 30 to 90 minutes to complete after which you are discharged the same day and are allowed to resume your normal activities right away.
CyberKnife Treatment in India
India is one of the very few nations to have gotten its hands on the exclusive CyberKnife treatment. CyberKnife treatment in India is not only a good option, keeping in mind the excellent expertise of the doctors and medical facilities but it far more cost-effective than other countries like US, UK, Australia using the same treatment.
