CyberKnife is a form of stereotactic radiation therapy. It's also sometimes known as stereotactic body surgery. This non-invasive treatment can be used to treat a variety of cancerous and non-cancerous tumours anywhere in the body.
Our team includes:
- Radiation therapist
- Radiation oncologist
- Radiation physicist
How CyberKnife works
CyberKnife is a quick and painless treatment. It is a radiotherapy machine that produces high energy X-rays. The treatment unit is supported on a robotic arm which allows the treatment to be delivered from any angle. High doses of radiation are then delivered to the affected area with extreme accuracy.
This level of accuracy means that tumours in difficult to reach areas may be able to be treated by CyberKnife instead of surgery.
Who we treat
Our specialists can treat a range of conditions using CyberKnife. We commonly treat patients with the following cancers:
- brain tumours and metastases
- prostate cancer
- spine tumours and metastases
- lung tumours
We also use Cyberknife to treat the following benign conditions:
- acoustic neuroma (growth in the inner ear)
- meningioma (tumour of the central nervous system)
- arteriovenous malformations (AVM)
- pituitary adenoma (growth on the pituitary)
If you want to know whether you can be treated with CyberKnife, talk to your consultant. They may then refer you to our CyberKnife team to discuss further.
What to expect
Before you go in for your treatment, a radiation therapist will explain the treatment process to you. At this point you can ask any questions you may have.
When you are brought into the treatment room you'll lie down on the treatment couch. Your radiation therapists will be just outside the room, watching at all times. If you need to stop treatment at any point, you can simply raise your hand.
During your treatment, the CyberKnife robot will move around you and stop at multiple positions to deliver treatment to the affected area. It will never touch you. The CyberKnife treatment is completely painless and you will not see or feel anything while this happens. The robot simply moves around.
You may see the machine moving up and down slightly. This is the robot tracking the tumour as you breathe.
A radiation therapist outside the room may also move the treatment couch. This is part of the process to make sure the treatment is accurate.
Your treatment will take about 1-1.5 hours.
CyberKnife Treatment does not make you radioactive and it's perfectly safe for you to be around young people, children and pregnant women after your treatment.
Once you've had your treatment, you're free to go home. In about 2 weeks, we'll follow up with you to see how you're feeling and discuss next steps.
Insurance
Not all services are covered by health insurance. To find out if you're covered, contact your health insurance provider before your visit.
Visit our Health insurance and self-pay page for more information.
Payment
If you do not have health insurance or your health plan does not cover the full cost, you will need to pay on the day of your visit.
You might be able to claim fees on your insurance.
If you need to submit an insurance excess or pay inpatient fees after a stay at the Hermitage Clinic, you can pay your bill online.