The robot-supported CyberKnife

The CyberKnife guarantees one of the most modern forms of treatment for many types of tumours with maximum comfort for the patients. With the use of a sophisticated digital image-guiding system and robotic control, high dose irradiation can be concentrated on tumours with sub-millimetre precision. This assures minimum damage to healthy organs and also maximum effectiveness in eradicating solid tumours.

CyberKnife technology

The CyberKnife brings together different innovative developments in the latest software and hardware technology in medicine. Many of the CyberKnife components were developed by our team and collaborative partners in Germany.

Robotic arm

The industrial robotic arm from Augsburg was specially rebuilt for medical use. The robotic arm operates on six axes, enabling the attached miniature linear accelerator to be aligned in any direction in the treatment room.

Linear accelerator

The miniature linear accelerator weighs only 150 kg and can deliver photons with a force of 6 mega electron volts. The irradiation is focused through special lead apertures and shaped into a cylindrical beam.

Locating the tumour

Based on the bone structure (e.g. the cranium or spine), implanted gold markers or the tumour itself (e.g. lung tumours), the CyberKnife aided by x-ray photographs is able to locate the target area with extreme precision during treatment. A special computer program compares the CT scan images taken during planning with the treatment images and uses the robotic arm to compensate automatically for any possible variation. This technique is unique worldwide and permits extremely precise irradiation.

Compensation for respiratory movement

Besides its tumour locating ability, CyberKnife is also able to compensate for movement in the body, e.g. from respiration. Aided by a permanently visible infra-red marker and special computer models, CyberKnife can predict the position of the tumour and adjust the direction of the irradiating beam in real time. This engineering is unique in its accuracy and is currently the gold standard for treatment of moving tumours.

CyberKnife is the only system worldwide capable of adjusting to respiratory movement in the body while delivering irradiation. In particular, for moving tumours in the lungs and liver, this is a decisive advantage in delivering a safe, precise dosage for destruction of the tumour. The precision of the system permits a safe, high dose of irradiation that often enables the destruction of a tumour to be achieved in as few as 1-5 sessions.

Inidcations for CyberKnife

The CyberKnife treatment offers a very good, tried and trusted treatment option for clearly delimited tumours and functional disorders in the following situations:

• An operation cannot be carried out at all or only incompletely or at increased risk due to the condition of the patient (e.g. higher risk of anaesthetic complications, comorbidity, advanced age, etc.) or the location of the tumour.
   
• Conventional, fractionated radiotherapy would be less effective due to the resistance of the tumour to irradiation or cannot be carried out because of previous irradiation.

Conditions for which CyberKnife radiosurgery offers effective, tried and proven treatment:

Brain tumours

• Metastasis
• Meningioma
• Acoustic neuroma
• Neuromas of other brain nerves
• Pituitary adenoma
• Chordoma
• Chondrosarcoma

Eye tumours

• Uveal melanoma
• Uveal metastasis
• (Retinoblastoma)

Vascular malformations

• Arteriovenous malformations (AVM)
• Jugular glomus tumours

Functional disorders

• Trigeminal neuralgia

Spine

• Metastasis
• Meningioma
• Sarcoma

Lungs and abdomen

• Lung tumours at an early stage
• Lung metastasis
• Liver tumours at an early stage
• Liver metastasis
• Kidney tumours
• Kidney metastasis
• Selective lymph nodes

Prostate

• Prostate tumours in our clinical study

Each case is thoroughly analysed and evaluated by our tumour board. Should treatment with CyberKnife not be an option, alternative treatments provided by our partners will be offered.

The innovative CyberKnife System enables to provide

• Non-invasive, pain-free outpatient radiosurgical treatment (no invasive surgical procedure) in any part of the body with maximum comfort for the patients. You will be able to resume normal activity on the same day.
• Maximum effectiveness in treating benign and malignant tumours and functional disorders with minimum risk of side effects achieved by optimised robotic planning and real-time tracking of the targeted area during treatment.
• Radiosurgery performed under internationally recognised standards, with more than 200,000 patients treated worldwide including 35,000 in 2013 alone. The clinic's own clinical experience extends well beyond 5 years and the technical experience dates back over 20 years.

Please note that SilaMed cannot provide any medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and does not make recommendations in choosing a German medical provider – that is a decision that remains entirely up to you.