Connecticut's Only Hospital with the Latest CyberKnife Technology
What Is Cyberknife®?
Although CyberKnife has the word “knife” in it, there are no cuts or incisions. The CyberKnife is a specialized robotic radiation machine used to deliver precisely targeted intense radiation to tumors located anywhere in the body. CyberKnife stereotactic radiation can be used to destroy tumors without requiring any actual surgery. CyberKnife is the only system to track a tumor’s true location within the body constantly during treatment. The CyberKnife robotic technology moves the machine to account for any movement, including motion with breathing. Because of its extreme precision, surrounding organs and tissues received very little, if any radiation. The treatment is completely non-invasive and does not require any operation, anesthesia, or hospital stay.
CyberKnife® Benefits
- Can treat many tumors inoperable by conventional surgery or radiation
- Treatment performed in 1-5 sessions
- Each session lasts 20-60 minutes
- Entirely non-invasive
- Completely painless
- No incisions
- No anesthesia
- Minimal, if any recovery time
- Can treat more than one lesion in each session
- May be able to treat after previous radiation
Conditions Treated
Frequently Asked Questions
CyberKnife uses hundreds of precisely targeted radiation beams to converge onto and destroy tumors located anywhere in the body. Since each individual beam carries a very low dose of radiation, only the targeted tumor receives any significant amount of radiation. Because of this accuracy, the CyberKnife can safely deliver extremely large doses of radiation to the tumor in just a few sessions, without affecting other nearby organs. The CyberKnife can destroy tumors without putting patients through surgery or anesthesia.
CyberKnife may a good option for some patients in the following circumstances:
- When a tumor located close to a sensitive organ, where traditional radiation therapy poses a significant risk of damage to that structure
- When a surgical approach would be too difficult
- When surgery is unable to remove all of the diseased tissue
- When a patient is unable or unwilling to undergo traditional surgery
- When a tumor recurs after previous conventional radiation
CyberKnife can treat tumors and cancers of the brain, spine, lung, liver, prostate and pancreas. In addition, the CyberKnife can also treat selected cancers that have recurred after standard radiation treatments, including cancers in the head and neck, lymph nodes and bone.
The CyberKnife delivers both SRS and SBRT treatments. SRS and SBRT both have the same targeting accuracy. In SRS, the entire radiation dose is given in one single treatment, while SBRT delivers the dose over 2-5 treatments within seven to 10 days.
For standard radiotherapy, the accuracy with which the treatment is focused on the tumor is a secondary concern. To protect normal tissues, and make the treatment tolerable, small radiation doses are delivered over multiple sessions for a period of several weeks.
By contrast, CyberKnife radiosurgery utilizes much greater targeting accuracy. Normal tissues are protected by selectively targeting only the abnormal lesion, using cross-firing techniques to minimize the exposure to the adjacent anatomy. CyberKnife delivers the radiation in one to five daily treatments.
Every initial consultation includes a radiation oncologist and surgeon. If treatment is appropriate, the CyberKnife coordinator arranges for imaging studies from which the physicians and medical physicist jointly plan and approve a course of treatment. Treatment is typically completed in 1 to 5 sessions, each lasting 20 to 60 minutes.
Most insurance plans cover CyberKnife treatments for most conditions. Before any treatments are scheduled, our CyberKnife coordinator will obtain any necessary insurance pre-authorizations.
Is CyberKnife right for you?
Our experienced CyberKnife physicians and nurses can offer you the best advice on treatment options.
For more information, please call (860) 714-4764.
