What is CyberKnife?
CyberKnife is a stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) system manufactured by Accuray, USA. This device uses precise X-ray beams to treat tumors and inoperable lesions in various parts of the body without surgery.
The main difference between CyberKnife and other radiation therapy methods:
✔ Millimeter-level accuracy in targeting the tumor (using an intelligent robot).
✔ No need for anesthesia and open surgery.
✔ Ability to treat moving tumors (such as lung and liver tumors) with motion tracking.
1. What diseases does CyberKnife treat?
• Meningioma
• Acoustic Neuroma
• Glioblastoma
• Brain Metastases
• Primary or metastatic tumors
• Benign or malignant spinal cord lesions
• Primary Lung Cancer
• Pulmonary Metastases
• Localized prostate cancer
• Prostate metastases
• Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)
• Liver Metastases
2. How does CyberKnife work?
• Imaging with CT Scan and MRI to determine the exact location of the tumor.
• Designing a personalized treatment plan with artificial intelligence.
• No surgical incisions or anesthesia are required.
• Side effects are usually mild.
3. Duration and length of CyberKnife treatment
| The time of each session | Number of treatment sessions | Tumor type |
|---|---|---|
| 30 to 90 minutes | 1 to 5 sessions | Brain tumors |
| 30 to 45 minutes | 4 to 5 sessions | Prostate cancer |
| 30 to 60 minutes | 3 to 5 sessions | lung cancer |
| 30 to 60 minutes | 3 to 5 sessions | Liver and pancreatic cancer |
| 30 to 60 minutes | 1 to 5 sessions | spine |
✅ CyberKnife treatment is usually performed in 1 to 5 sessions, with each session lasting between 30 and 90 minutes.
✅ The patient does not need hospitalization and can return to their daily activities after treatment.
4. What doctors prescribe CyberKnife?
🔹 Radiation Oncologist
🔹 Neurosurgeons
🔹 Urologists for prostate cancer
🔹 Pulmonologists and lung oncologists
🔹 General surgeons and digestive oncologists for pancreatic and liver cancers
5. The success and effectiveness of CyberKnife
✅ The success rate of CyberKnife treatment is between 80% and 95% depending on the type of cancer.
✅ In many cases, CyberKnife replaces invasive surgery and provides similar results.
✅ For benign brain tumors, the disease control rate is close to 98%.
✅ In prostate cancer, survival rates in low-risk patients have been reported to be up to 95%.
📌 The effects of CyberKnife usually appear over a few weeks to months, as cancer cells are gradually destroyed.
6. Difference between CyberKnife, Linear Accelerator (LINAC) and GammaKnife
| Linear accelerator | Gamanaif | Cyber Knife |
|---|---|---|
| External radiation therapy | Stereotactic radiotherapy for the brain | Stereotactic robotic radiotherapy |
| ❌ limited | ❌ No | ✅ Yes with motion tracking |
| Full body | Only the brain | Full body |
| ❌ Less than CyberKnife | ✅ Very high | ✅ Very high (under one millimeter) |
| ❌ does not have | ✅ Yes (for the brain) | ❌ does not have |
| 5 to 30 sessions | 1 session | 1 to 5 sessions |
| More than Cyberknife | The lowest amount | The lowest amount |
📌 CyberKnife has higher precision than LINAC and its main advantage is the ability to treat mobile tumors (lung – liver – prostate).
7. Advantages of the CyberKnife device over other methods
✔ 1. Non-invasive treatment: no need for surgery, incisions or anesthesia.
✔ 2. Very high precision: millimeter, even in moving tumors.
✔ 3. Minimal side effects: protection of healthy tissues around the tumor.
✔ 4. Fewer sessions: 1 to 5 sessions instead of 30 sessions of conventional radiation therapy.
✔ 5. No need for hospitalization: the patient returns to daily life immediately after treatment.
✔ 6. Treatment of all types of tumors in the body: from the brain to the prostate, lungs and liver.
summary
CyberKnife is an advanced, non-invasive radiation therapy method used to treat brain, spine, prostate, lung, liver, and pancreatic tumors. Using robotic technology, this device delivers high doses of radiation to the tumor with millimeter precision, without the need for surgery or anesthesia. Its advantages include high accuracy, a low number of sessions, minimal side effects, and a quick return to daily life for the patient.