Treatment Procedures

CyberKnife® treatments involve a team approach in which several specialists participate.

Prior to the procedure, the patient is imaged using a high-resolution CT scan to determine the size, shape and location of the tumor. Following scanning, the image data is digitally transferred to the CyberKnife System’s workstation where the treatment planning begins.

A qualified clinician then uses the CyberKnife software to generate a treatment plan. The plan is used to match the desired radiation dose to the identified tumor location while limiting radiation exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue.

Once the treatment plan has been developed, the patient is ready to undergo the CyberKnife procedure. After arriving at the CyberKnife Center, patients are comfortably positioned on the treatment table. Then the CyberKnife System’s computer-controlled robot will slowly move around the patient to the various locations from which it will deliver radiation to the tumor.

Painless Treatment
While lying on the treatment table, the patient is fitted with a custom mask (for head/neck treatments only) made earlier during the setup process. Generally, no sedation or anesthesia is required. The CyberKnife robot will move slowly around the patient to deliver the radiation from many directions. The imaging system periodically verifies the target position to ensure the radiation is delivered accurately to the lesion. The entire procedure typically lasts 30-90 minutes.

Completion
Patients typically have from 1 to 5 treatments depending on the location of the lesion and the specific type of lesion. The patient can usually leave the center and resume normal activity immediately. However some patients may feel a little tired or fatigued after the treatment(s).

Follow-up
Follow-up imaging and physician consultation are required to monitor the progress of the tumor or lesion.