Cyber Knife Radiosurgery

Cyber knife surgery is one of the latest cancer treatment procedures. It is the only radiosurgery procedure to bring together a linear accelerator, image guidance system & robotic arm. With its unique capabilities, CyberKnife can target tumor & lesions that might be considered unapproachable by other radiosurgery systems. It is an advanced system that continually adjusts & monitors in real-time for patient’s motion during treatment. Also, due to its accuracy & precision, CyberKnife treatment procedure for cancer targets the affected region only without disturbing & harming the surrounding regions & tissues. According to recent clinical studies, success rate of CyberKnife surgery is high & it gives 90 percent exactness in treating lesions.

What is CyberKnife Surgery?

CyberKnife Radiosurgery treatment is a robotic non-invasive alternative to traditional surgery. This procedure is ideal for both cancerous & non-cancerous tumors located anywhere in the body including brain, lung, liver, pancreas, spine, kidney & prostate glands. CyberKnife Radiosurgery treatment delivers high-dose radiation beams to tumors with utmost accuracy. This technique is a pain-free non-surgical ideal option for patients having surgically complex or inoperable tumors

What is CyberKnife Surgery?

CyberKnife Radiosurgery treatment is a robotic non-invasive alternative to traditional surgery. This procedure is ideal for both cancerous & non-cancerous tumors located anywhere in the body including brain, lung, liver, pancreas, spine, kidney & prostate glands. CyberKnife Radiosurgery treatment delivers high-dose radiation beams to tumors with utmost accuracy. This technique is a pain-free non-surgical ideal option for patients having surgically complex or inoperable tumors.

Good Candidates for CyberKnife Surgery

Patients with following conditions can be considered as good candidates for CyberKnife surgery.
•    Brain tumors
•    Prostate cancer
•    Lung cancers
•    Pancreatic cancers
Other tumors, lesions & conditions in the body where radiation treatment is indicated can be treated with CyberKnife surgery. In addition, patients suffering from several metastatic cancers or cancers that have spread to the lung, brain & spine can also be treated with this radiosurgery.

Diseases Treated with CyberKnife Surgery

CyberKnife radiosurgery is a non-invasive solution to surgery for the treatment of both cancerous & non-cancerous lesions anywhere in the body, including the lung, brain, prostate, liver, spine, kidney & pancreas. This procedure delivers extremely high doses of radiation to tumors with precision. It offers a ray of hope to patients who have surgically complex or inoperable tumors & for patients who may be looking for a non-surgical alternative.
•    Prostate Tumor – CyberKnife surgery delivers high doses of radiation directly to the prostate in three to four treatment sessions. This treatment is referred to as prostate stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) & is also called as prostate radiosurgery.
•    Lung Cancer – CyberKnife system offers a solution to patients who cannot undergo lung cancer surgery due to poor health conditions & want a minimally invasive treatment for lung cancer.
•    Brain Cancer – This treatment can be used for brain tumors that are considered inoperable due to their location in the head. CyberKnife surgery can also treat non-cancerous tumors & conditions such as arterial venous malformations & trigeminal neuralgia.
•    Liver Tumor – Most patients with liver tumor observe minimal to no side effects with lesser recovery time.
•    Pancreatic Tumor – Patients suffering from pancreatic tumor who cannot undergo surgery due to poor health, can opt for CyberKnife pancreatic cancer treatment.

Diagnosing Tumors / Lesions

Patients should take pre-consultation appointments with their radiation oncologist. Oncologists will recommend several tests to patients for evaluating their health status. These tests generally include blood test, CT scan, PET, or MRI scans.
•    Scanning – Patients will undergo several imaging procedures to evaluate the shape, size & location of the tumor prior to treatment with CyberKnife System. The process starts with a high-resolution CT scan. For several tumors, other imaging methods such as angiography, MRI, or PET may also be used.
•    Planning – After performing scanning process, surgeons extract image data & identify the exact shape, size & location of patient’s tumor. Oncologists then use software to create a treatment plan in order to offer desired radiation doses to exact tumor location without damaging nearby healthy tissues in a patient’s body
Preparing for CyberKnife Surgery
•    Clothes – Patients should wear comfortable & loose-fitting clothes while undergoing procedure. Most patients do not require to wear a hospital gown.
•    Food Intake – Before CyberKnife surgery, patients should eat regularly & continue their routine activities.
•    Medications – Patients should take the prescribed medicines before treatment.
•    Getting Ready – Patients should not wear any jewelry during treatment. Four to six hours prior to CyberKnife treatment, patients should not use any lotions, moisturizers, powders, creams or deodorant on the region which is to be treated.
•    Care-Taker – Patients should bring along a friend or family member with them on the treatment data

Questions to Ask Oncologists / Surgeons about CyberKnife Surgery

Before deciding to undergo CyberKnife treatment, patients should ask queries or clear doubts that they might have relating to the procedure. Below is a list of relevant questions that patients may ask surgeons.
•    What is CyberKnife radiosurgery?
•    What conditions can CyberKnife surgery treat?
•    How can I be sure that CyberKnife treatment is right for me?
•    How many patients have you treated with CyberKnife surgery?
•    What are the benefits of CyberKnife treatment?
•    What can I expect prior, during & after CyberKnife surgery?
•    Are there any major side-effects of CyberKnife surgery?
•    How many times can I undergo CyberKnife treatment?
•    After CyberKnife surgery, when will my lesion or tumor disappear?
•    How is CyberKnife treatment different from conventional radiation therapy treatment?
•    Will I be able to live a normal life after my CyberKnife treatment?

CyberKnife Surgery Procedure

CyberKnife procedure is basically a team approach involving highly technical specialists. Prior to treatment, the patient is imaged using high-resolution CT scan so as to determine the shape, location & size of tumor. Following this image data is transferred to CyberKnife system workstation where treatment is planned. This plan determines radiation dosage to identified tumor while limiting exposure to healthy surrounding tissue. Once the patient is comfortably positioned on the treatment table, CyberKnife computer-controlled robot will move around the patient to select locations from where to deliver radiation to tumor. Each treatment session lasts between 30 to 90 minutes depending upon individual treatment requirements. In case treatment is delivered in stages, patients may be asked to return for additional sessions over many days which are typically limited to five at most. Some patients may experience minimal side-effects which normally go away within a week or two after treatment.

Recovery Following CyberKnife Surgery

CyberKnife surgery treatment is painless. Patients will not feel anything as radiation is delivered to them. Patients may see & hear CyberKnife machine moving & setting up for the next position during treatment. Duration of CyberKnife may vary depending upon the condition which is being treated. Several months after completion of treatment, patients should visit the surgeon & have several follow-up scans to check the effectiveness of treatment. Follow-up imaging may be performed with a combination of CT, PET or MRI scanning following treatment to examine tumor’s response to CyberKnife treatment.

Risks & Complications Associated with CyberKnife Surgery

Early side-effects from CyberKnife radiosurgery may occur, during or after completion of the treatment & are generally gone within a few weeks or months time. Late side-effects & complications can appear several months or years later & may need intervention. Patients should discuss their specific case with the surgeon to fully understand risks associated with CyberKnife treatment regimen. Common complications of CyberKnife surgery may include the following.
•    Fatigue
•    Nausea
•    Headaches
•    Radiation fibrosis
•    Pneumothorax
•    Radiation pneumonitis
•    Injury to nearby tissue
•    Rib pain or fracture
Complications after CyberKnife treatment may occur but the severity & frequency is generally moderate. Symptoms stated above are temporary in nature. Uncommon complications due to this procedure may include vomiting or skin reddening. Delayed symptoms may include inflammation, swelling or scarring in the adjacent normal tissue regions & site of treatment. Patients should speak with their surgeons prior to proceeding with treatment.

CyberKnife Surgery Outcomes

Effects of CyberKnife radiosurgery appear gradually. Time-frame for outcomes can range from few days, months or even many years depending upon the targeted medical condition. Certain tumors change slowly than others & eventually shrink or disappear.

Potential benefits of CyberKnife surgery include the following.

•    Non-invasive
•    No anesthesia needed
•    Pain-free
•    Exceptional precision spares healthy tissue & other organs
•    Lesser recovery time
•    Immediately return to routine activity
CyberKnife patients routinely report that they have minimal to no complications from the treatment & in majority of cases, they can shortly return to daily activities as well.

Medical Tourism in India for CyberKnife Surgery

India is a specialist medical tourism destination for CyberKnife surgery procedures. CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery costs in India are affordable & just a fraction of what patients normally pay in the western developed countries. Offering high-tech medical solutions to a large variety of healthcare problems, it is no wonder that India is one of the most favored global health care destinations today.

CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery with AVAN MediTour

AVAN MediTour  provides outstanding CyberKnife Radiosurgery treatments in the best hospitals of India. 

AVAN MediTour 24X7 assistance alongside call & electronic mail services are ones of the best a patient can rely upon. They are associated with the best CyberKnife treatment surgeons & technicians who are top experts in the country. They ensure international patients receive transparent, high-quality, seamless, affordable & hassle-free extensive range of CyberKnife treatments to overcome all kinds of medical problem.