As you know, cancer is getting one of the common diseases nowadays and all people wish to have a cure for that. Cyberknife is the newest system for treating cancer and it is getting so famous. But let’s see what this system is and how it can help patients.
Iran Destination offers any services you like. Many patients from around the world contact us and ask us to arrange their treatment plans. So if you like to have Cyberknife, you can contact us.
What is CyberKnife?
CyberKnife is a radiosurgery system specifically designed for cancer treatment with more than millimetric precision. Using this system, the radiation beams are concentrated on the cancerous areas of the brain and body with high doses of radiation. Meanwhile, normal tissue can be protected from the inluences of radiation at the maximum rate. This computer controlled robot technology can twirl and dance around the patient and apply radiation from hundreds of angles. Actually, CyberKnife is an advanced linear accelerator placed on the robots used in the industry sector. It is a Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRC) device that uses radiation beams concentrated on cancerous areas of the brain and body, particularly in places which are hard to reach, and delivers high doses of radiation while protecting normal tissue maximally. SRC, is actually the treatment for a target found through coordinates, and it destroys a tumor in a single session after determining the three dimensional coordinates. When this treatment is done in more than 1 session (generally 3-5 sessions) it will be called Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT).
What specialists can do the CyberKnife treatment?
Radiation oncology specialists can do Cyberknife treatment. However, there are medical physics specialists who are responsible for the quality of the treatment, radiotherapy technicians using the treatment devices, nurses assisting doctors and following the patient’s progress and the patient acceptance authorities helping with all kinds of questions and procedures.
What types of cancer is CyberKnife used for?
CyberKnife can be used for all kinds of lesions of the brain and head-neck region limitlessly regarding the position and size. This treatment is preferred for malignant and benign tumors, arteriovenous malformations, metastases, and some functional diseases.
Also it can be used in lung cancers, prostate cancers, vertebra tumors, head and neck cancers, pancreas cancers and metastases that are small in number but not treatable with other methods, lung and liver cancers in which the tumor changes position with respiration or intestinal movements, some tumors that couldn’t be treated in the past or were only treatable through surgery that left other damages, tumors around the eyes that require the eye to be surgically removed and spinal disorders that are very sensitive to radiation.
This method is also used on patients who have already received radiotherapy but the disease has recurred in the same exact area.
What does CyberKnife provide to the patient?
CyberKnife is suitable for those lesions that are located in areas which are so difficult to access and also for tumors that do not need surgery or need a very complex surgery or are inoperable.
Fast treatment varies from 1 to 5 sessions.
The tumor and the patient movements are monitored during the treatment with the instant image guidance system and the computer controlled robot technology. Any Immediate changes can be detected and then corrected.
Multiple tumors can be treated simultaneously.
No need for hospitalization of the patient. So patients can go back to their daily life so soon.
Know the CyberKnife device more
This device is comprised of a linear accelerator which weighs 140 kg and produces 6 MV x-rays positioned on an industrial robot with 6 joints and a robotic patient bed which moves in 6 directions. The sensitivity of this robot is 0.2 mm.
How is CyberKnife done?
A plastic mask is placed on the patient without a surgical procedure. During the treatment the patient is placed on a robot controlled table which moves in 6 dimensions. Changes in the tumor movements are tracked by an image capturing system that determines the location of the tumor and then if necessary, it change the patient position and sensitively treats lung and liver tumors that move with respiration. During the treatment the patient does not need to hold their breath or breathe regularly. The system compares the computerized tomography and magnetic resonance images taken before the treatment with the instant images that are taken during the treatment. Therefore the treatment is not influenced by small movements of the patient.
What are the treatable conditions?
FDA has cleared this system for treatment of tumors and lesions anywhere in the body if radiation therapy is appropriate. But, patients must consult their physicians to determine if this treatment approach is good for them or not. Conditions that can be treated with CyberKnife are as follow:
Primary & Metastatic Brain Tumors
Spinal Cord Tumors
Soft Tissue Tumors (Lung, Kidney, Liver, Pancreas)
Meningiomas & Skull-base Tumors
Recurrent & Residual Tumors
Functional Disorders, such as Trigeminal Neuralgia
What are the advantages of CyberKnife?
As this system is able to correct patient movement during treatment, the pain and inconvenience associated with the rigid metal head frame used in other stereotactic techniques are now eliminated.
3. Full body capability
It can also be administered to soft tissues such as the lung, liver, kidney and other organs, as well as spine and brain.
4. Outpatient treatment
The CyberKnife treatment highly reduces the risk of complications and long recovery time of traditional surgeries. Cyberknife can also perform “staged” radiosurgery; i.e. the total radiation dose is sperated into two to five smaller doses over several days.
You can ask our Iran Tour Operator to manage the treatment for you. we are in contact with different specialists and can arrange your Cyberknife treatment for you. so just contact our Iran Travel Agency and let us know about your problem.