- What can the CyberKnife® System treat?
- How many patients have been treated with the CyberKnife System?
- How does the CyberKnife System differ from other radiosurgery systems?
- What are the benefits of treatment with the CyberKnife System?
- Has the CyberKnife System been approved by the FDA?
- How long does the treatment take?
- Are CyberKnife treatments covered by insurance?
What can the CyberKnife System treat? (This list is not comprehensive. Please consult your physician)
Types of tumors and lesions
- Malignant tumors
- Primary (e.g., astrocytomas, carcinomas, gliomas, lung, pancreas)
- Metastases (brain and bony)
- Benign tumors
Intracranial tumors and lesions
- Acoustic neuroma/Vestibular schwannoma
- Anaplastic astrocytoma
- Schwannoma
- Arteriovenous malformation (AVM)
- Craniopharyngioma
- Pituitary adenoma
- DNET
- Ependymoma
- Epidural hematoma
- Gangliocytoma
- Germinoma
- Glioblastoma multiforme
- Glioma
- Glomus jugulare tumor
- Hemangioblastoma
- Meningioma
- Neurocytoma
- Neurofibroma
- Neurofibromatosis
- Oligodendroglioma
- PNET
- Trigeminal neuralgia
Extracranial tumors and lesions
- Base of skull
- Neck
- Cervical Spine
- Thoracic Spine
- Lumbar Spine
- Pancreas
- Liver
- Lungs
- Kidney
- Sacral Spine
Other lesions, tumors, and conditions anywhere in the body when radiation treatment is indicated
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How many patients have been treated with the CyberKnife System?
To date, more than 35,000 patients worldwide have been treated by the CyberKnife System
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How does the CyberKnife System differ from other radiosurgery systems?
Radiosurgery has traditionally been restricted to the treatment of tumors in the brain. Patients undergoing traditional radiosurgery for brain tumors 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 tumor with minimal damage to other parts of the brain or structures in the head. 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 tumor and patient movements throughout the treatment. It delivers radiation with pinpoint sub-millimeter accuracy anywhere in the body including tumors 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.
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What are the benefits of treatment with the CyberKnife System?
- More treatment options — The CyberKnife System gives new hope to patients by offering patients with previously inoperable tumors or those who refuse surgery a new treatment option approved to treat tumors anywhere in the body
- Autonomous delivery — continuously tracks the tumor position, detects the tumors location and corrects for tumor and patient movement throughout the treatment.
- Precise — The CyberKnife System delivers high-dose radiation with sub-millimeter accuracy, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
- Painless treatment—The CyberKnife System is painless and requires no anesthesia, effectively eliminating the risk of complications such as infections, hemorrhage, and the loss of hearing and/or feeling associated with traditional surgery.
- No recovery time — Compared to traditional open surgery, CyberKnife treatments are performed on an outpatient basis eliminating overnight hospital stays.
- 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 to immobilize patients in traditional radiosurgery.
- 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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Has the CyberKnife System been approved by the FDA?
Yes, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided clearance for the CyberKnife System to treat tumors in the head, neck and upper spine in 1999 and the treatment of tumors anywhere in the body in 2001.
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How long does treatment take?
The patient meets with their physician so that imaging required to plan the treatment (e.g. CT, MRI, PET scan) can be performed prior to the CyberKnife treatment to map the tumor. Then the patient visits the medical center 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 physician has planned the treatment.
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Are CyberKnife treatments covered by insurance?
While Accuray cannot guarantee reimbursement from any third-party payer, data collected from U.S. based CyberKnife Centers indicate that over 100 unique commercial and private payers are reimbursing the related codes and any or all portions of the CyberKnife services. Patients should always consult with a physician in connection with any and all treatment options and obtain prior authorization from their insurance companies once a treatment option is determined.
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