CyberKnife®
Frequently Asked Questions
What conditions can the CyberKnife® System treat?
The CyberKnife® system can treat a range of
conditions, many are listed below. Please speak to your
consultant or The London Clinic for more information.
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Types of tumours and lesions |
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Benign tumours
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Malignant tumours
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Metastases (brain and bony)
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Primary (e.g. strocytomas, carcinomas, gliomas, lung,
pancreas)
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Intracranial tumours and
lesions
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Acoustic neuroma/Vestibular schwannoma |
Anaplastic astrocytoma |
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Schwannoma |
Arteriovenous malformation
(AVM) |
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Craniopharyngioma |
DNET |
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Ependymoma |
Epidural hematoma |
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Gangliocytoma |
Germinoma |
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Glioblastoma multiforme |
Glioma |
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Glomus jugulare tumor |
Hemangioblastoma |
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Meningioma |
Neurocytoma |
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Neurofibroma |
Neurofibromatosis |
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Oligodendroglioma |
Pituitary adenoma |
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PNET |
Trigeminal neuralgia |
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Extracranial tumors and lesions |
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Base of skull |
Kidney |
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Liver |
Lungs |
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Neck |
Pancreas |
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Cervical Spine |
Lumbar Spine |
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Sacral Spine |
Thoracic Spine
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Other lesions, tumors, and
conditions anywhere in the body when radiation treatment
is indicated.
How many patients have been treated
with the CyberKnife®
System?
As of September 2009, more than 80,000
patients worldwide have been treated by the CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System.
How does the CyberKnife® System differ from other
radiosurgery systems?
Radiosurgery has traditionally been restricted
to the treatment of tumours in the brain. Patients undergoing
traditional radiosurgery for brain tumours are fitted with a rigid
metal frame bolted to the skull. This steadies the head during the
treatment so that the high doses of radiation can be more precisely
targeted at the tumour with minimal damage to other parts of the
brain or structures in the head. These frames cause considerable
discomfort, may limit the angles from which radiation can be
delivered, and make treatment in more than one session
difficult.
The CyberKnife® System is the first and only
intelligent robotic radiosurgery system that uses a combination of
image guidance and computer controlled robotics to continuously
track, detect and correct for tumour and patient movements
throughout the treatment. It delivers radiation with pinpoint
sub-millimetre accuracy anywhere in the body including tumours in
or near the head, spine, lung, prostate, pancreas and liver.
Because of the extreme precision and accuracy of the
CyberKnife® System, no
invasive head or body frame is required.
What are the benefits of treatment
with the CyberKnife®
System?
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* More treatment options — The CyberKnife® System gives new hope to
patients with
previously inoperable tumours or those who refuse
surgery as a new treatment option
approved to treat tumours anywhere in the body.
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* Autonomous delivery — continuously tracks the tumour position,
detects the tumour’s
location and corrects for tumour and patient
movement throughout the treatment.
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* Precision — The CyberKnife® System delivers high-dose
radiation with sub-millimetre
accuracy, minimising damage to surrounding healthy
tissue.
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* Painless treatment—The CyberKnife® System is painless and requires
no anaesthesia,
effectively eliminating the risk of complications
such as infections, haemorrhage and the
loss of hearing and/or feeling associated with
traditional surgery.
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* No recovery time — Compared to traditional open surgery,
CyberKnife® treatments
are
performed on an outpatient basis eliminating
overnight hospital stays.
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* Superior comfort—Patients experience improved comfort due to
the system’s frameless
design which eliminates the pain and inconvenience
associated with the head or body
frame used in traditional
radiosurgery.
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* Convenience — With an advanced planning system, a patient’s
treatment setup can be
scheduled at the patient’s convenience, and
patients can be treated in as few as one to
five visits.
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How long does treatment
take?
The patient meets with their consultant, so
that the imaging required to plan the treatment (e.g. CT, MRI) and
map the tumour can be performed prior to the CyberKnife® treatment.
Then the patient visits our new Cancer Centre
(open late 2009) for the treatment session that may last anywhere
from 30 to 90 minutes. Treatments can be carried out in a single or
up to five sessions depending on how the consultant has planned the
treatment.
Are CyberKnife® treatments covered by
insurance?
Accuray and The London
Clinic cannot guarantee reimbursement from any private medical
insurer (PMI) here or abroad. Data collected from U.S.
CyberKnife®Centres
indicate that over 100 commercial and private insurance plans are
reimbursing in full or partial payments for accredited
CyberKnife® services,
hospital and consultant fees. At this time, we are not aware
of any UK based PMI providing cover for Cyberknife®
treatments. For more information you should contact your
PMI directly.
For your queries regarding CyberKnife®
treatment at The London Clinic,
please contact
Miss Amanda
Hallums, Matron/ Clinical Director of Clinical
Services info@thelondonclinic.co.uk
More information about the
CyberKnife® Robotic
Radiosurgery System