
Cyberknife treatment ranks among the latest cancer treatment procedures. It has opened up a new dimension and revolutionary approach in the field of stereotactic radio surgery for the cure of various types of cancers. Cyberknife is an all total outpatient and non-invasive treatment procedures in which the tumors are destroyed are radiation. One of the main benefits of the treatment is that there are no side effects and risks of post surgery like other conventional surgical procedures. Radiation can be put to any part of the body every effectively.
Although both methods use high energy radiation, stereotactic radiosurgery differs from traditional radiation therapy or intensity modulated radiation therapy in several ways. CyberKnife VSI treatments are more accurate due to the ability of the robot to point to the target from more than 1,000 possible positions with sub millimeter precision. This means that the target can be fully treated while minimizing radiation to immediately adjacent structures. High accuracy enables a full treatment in 1 to 5 sessions rather than 25 to 40 sessions. CyberKnife VSI is “patient centric” meaning that the system finds and then adjusts itself to the location of the patient and tumor.
There is a much wider variety of treatment angles and fields for the computer to choose from. Gamma Knife radiosurgery and linear accelerator (gantry) based treatments are “isocentric” meaning that the target must be brought into the center or focal point of the treatment device. A rigid head frame is required for gantry based or Gamma Knife radiosurgery, which is confined to targets within the brain. CyberKnife VSI does not require the use of a rigid frame so targets can be treated throughout the body.

- The Cyberknife, like other stereotactic radio surgery systems, uses a linear accelerator (beam source) and image guidance.
- Unlike some other systems, Cyberknife image guidance is repeated throughout treatment delivery in order to compensate in real time for small changes in patient or tumor position, which is especially helpful for tumors that move with breathing.
- In addition, the Cyberknife utilizes a robotic arm that gives the system flexibility to reach areas of the body that are unreachable by other radio surgery systems.
- The Cyberknife system is able to locate tumors within the body without the use of an invasive stereotactic frame used with other systems. This is much more convenient and less traumatic for patients.

- Spine tumors
- Brain tumors
- Lung cancers
- Metastatic cancers — or cancers that have spread — to the brain, lung and spine
- Pancreatic cancers
- Prostate cancer for adults
- Other lesions, tumors and conditions in the body where radiation treatment is indicated