CyberKnife radiosurgery is a precise,
painless, non-invasive radiation treatment that can be an alternative to
conventional surgery.
The CyberKnife system delivers radiation
beams with “T” or “tight to the tumor” accuracy.
This means that CyberKnife radiosurgery is so
precise, that radiation beams can target small, complex shaped tumors near
critical structures of the body. The radiation beams penetrate the tumors
while leaving healthy tissues unharmed.
St. John’s is the only hospital in the region
to offer the CyberKnife Radiosurgery System. The introduction of the
CyberKnife technology reflects St. John’s commitment to providing superior
care to our patients. St. John's Radiosurgery Center, located adjacent to
the Cancer Center on the St. John's Hospital campus, opened in 2005.
CyberKnife radiosurgery treatment was
developed at Stanford University in the early 1990s and was approved for use
by the FDA in 2001. It incorporates a linear accelerator to generate
radiation using a robotic arm and an X-ray tracking system that follows
patient and tumor movement during treatment. This combination of
technology allows a patient’s tumor to be treated with lethal doses of
radiation - increasing the likelihood for cure - while leaving the
surrounding tissue nearly radiation-free.
There are currently 95 hospitals in the
United States with CyberKnife technology and over 25,000 patients have been
treated worldwide.
CyberKnife treatment differs from other types
of radiosurgery offered in southwest Missouri in three important ways:
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First, the CyberKnife is the most accurate radiosurgical device in the
world, offering precision treatments with less than 1 millimeter error.
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Second, it is the only radiosurgical device that can be used to treat
lesions throughout the body.
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Third, for treatment of tumors in the brain, it is the only device that can
deliver effective radiation doses without a frame being screwed into the
skull, which is done to stabilize the patient’s head during treatment.
This combination of unique features makes the
CyberKnife the fastest, easiest and most accurate radiosurgical device in
the world.
If you are a cancer or tumor patient, or
family member of a patient, and would like more information on the
CyberKnife technology, please speak with your health care provider or
contact Carla Hunt, R.N., at 417-820-9365.