Tumors and Other Conditions Treated by CyberKnife Surgery
CyberKnife surgery
Surgery without pain or incision may sound impossible, but new technology called CyberKnife is making the notion a reality. The CyberKnife Center at St. Joseph's Hospital offers new hope to patients with untreatable or inoperable tumors. CyberKnife uses highly focused radiation therapy which allows some patients to avoid traditional surgery.
The CyberKnife system is frameless (meaning it doesn't require a frame to be bolted into the skull, like many other radiosurgery systems) and allows for treatment in often less than five sessions ranging between 45 to 90 minutes per tumor. It offers many of the the benefits of surgery without the risks or complications.
This painless treatment is almost always performed as an outpatient procedure. Most patients require only one to five treatments, and depending on the tumor, CyberKnife alone may be all that is required. Other times, surgery is needed to remove the bulk of the tumor and is followed by CyberKnife treatment to radiate the remainder of the tumor.
Visit St. Joseph's CyberKnife Center
How CyberKnife works
The CyberKnife System has great flexibility, providing increased access to tumors anywhere in the body. The system first locates the tumor with x-ray cameras and computer technology similar to that used by cruise missiles. It determines the shape and location of the tumor, and is then programmed to deliver large doses of precisely aimed radiation. With its wide range of motion and flexibility, the CyberKnife can reach many tumors not accessible by other means.
CyberKnife's tumor treatment
Thousands of patients around the world have been treated using CyberKnife technology. The CyberKnife System has FDA clearance for the treatment of tumors in any location of the body. CyberKnife lets doctors target cancerous and non-cancerous tumors and lesions with high doses of radiation that causes little to no damage to the surrounding tissue. CyberKnife technology is used at St. Joseph's for tumors in the head, neck and spine, as well as in the lungs, prostate, pancreas, liver, kidneys and pelvis.
The CyberKnife System can treat both intracranial (inside the cranium or upper skull) and extracranial (outside the cranium or upper skull) tumors. In fact, extracranial treatments currently represent more than 50 percent of CyberKnife System procedures in the United States, including those of the spine, lung, prostate, liver and pancreas.
Why choose our CyberKnife system?
CyberKnife systems have been installed in hospitals throughout the United States, such as Georgetown University Hospital and Stanford University; but the National Brain Aneurysm Center in Minnesota is the first in the Upper Midwest to offer CyberKnife technology. This breakthrough stereotactic radiosurgical technology provides a new option for patients in the Twin Cities and surrounding area with tumors inoperable by traditional surgery.
Synchrony: Respiratory tracking system
As the National Brain Aneurysm Center continues to prove its versatility in battling hard-to-treat tumors and lesions, the Center also features an advanced respiratory tracking system called Synchrony. As a treatment, Synchrony is a vest that assists in synchronizing a patient's breathing with increased precision. Since a tumor can move with a patient's every breath, there are special operational challenges. But the problems can be resolved with this newest tracking device.
How Synchrony works
Throughout the procedure, Synchrony monitors, targets and readjusts its calibrations to assure that the device is locked in on the tumor. The result is that physicians know exactly where the tumor is, and can use maximum radiation without the fear of harming surrounding healthy tissues.
