Revolutionising Cancer Treatment: How CyberKnife at Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore, is Making a Difference

Revolutionising Cancer Treatment: How CyberKnife at Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore, is Making a Difference

Getting a cancer diagnosis can be daunting, not just because one has just been told that they have a life-threatening condition but also because of the side effects and challenges that come with its treatment. Conventional radiotherapy, surgery, and chemotherapy are the traditional treatment methods for cancer. However, they have a prolonged recovery time, accompanied by a host of complications. Fortunately, there is hope in the form of groundbreaking technology, the CyberKnife system. Let’s take a detailed look at this revolutionising cancer treatment and what it entails.

Understanding CyberKnife Technology

What is CyberKnife?
The roots of the CyberKnife device stretched back to 1994, when it first received clearance for clinical investigation by the FDA. Thanks to the works of Dr. John R. Adler from Stanford University and Peter and Russell Schonberg from Schonbeg Radiation Corporation, we now have state-of-the-art technology that can help treat cancer using robotic radiosurgery. There is no surgery or no cutting involved. The device uses high-energy radiation in the form of precise beams to destroy cancer cells. It is a game-changer for tumours that are inoperable using traditional methods and are present in difficult-to-access locations.

How Does CyberKnife Work?

To understand how CyberKnife works, let’s first take a look at its components:

• Robotic Arm: This is what will actually deliver the radiation. The arm moves around the patient to target the cells from various angles.
• Imaging System: The imaging system includes a pair of X-ray cameras that provide the precise location of the tumour and monitor it in real time.
• Linear Accelerator: Linear accelerator creates high-energy and precise radiation beams that destroy the tumour.
• Synchrony System: A few tumors move as the person breathes, for instance, the ones in the liver or the lungs. This is where the synchrony system comes into play. It tracks the movement of the tumour and accordingly adjusts the radiation beams.

The treatment starts with detailed imaging of the tumour to determine its location, size, and shape. Depending on the case, an outpatient procedure might have to be performed where the doctor will place fiducials or small markers near the tumour. Through this, the system is able to track the position of the tumour. To start the actual treatment, the patient will be laid on the table where the CyberKnife will deliver radiation. No surgery, no incisions, or not even anaesthesia is required. The treatment will last somewhere between 30 to 90 minutes, and the patient will need one to five sessions, depending on the tumour.

Now, let’s understand the benefits it has to offer.

Key Benefits of Choosing CyberKnife Technology for Cancer Treatment

The CyberKnife® procedure offers many significant benefits, particularly for patients requiring precise and minimally invasive treatment for tumours.

• Non-Invasive Approach: The CyberKnife system delivers radiation therapy without any incisions, reducing the risks associated with surgery while promoting quicker recovery.
• Non-Surgical Option for Inoperable Tumors: For patients with tumors that are considered inoperable due to their location or patient health, CyberKnife offers a non-surgical alternative that can still deliver effective treatment.
• High Precision: This treatment system uses advanced imaging & robotic technology to target tumours with even sub-millimetre accuracy.
• Versatile: CyberKnife can treat different tumours in various parts of the body, including the brain, spine, liver, lungs, pancreas, and prostate.
• Fewer Treatment Sessions: Compared to traditional radiation therapy, CyberKnife often requires fewer treatment sessions (typically between one and five).
• Real-Time Tracking: The system continuously tracks tumour movement and adjusts the radiation beams in real-time, allowing for effective treatment even for tumours that move with respiration or other bodily functions.
• Minimal Side Effects:Due to its precision, CyberKnife treatment typically results in fewer side effects compared to conventional radiation therapy. Patients usually experience less pain and a quicker return to normal activities.
• Outpatient Procedure:Most CyberKnife treatments are performed on an outpatient basis, meaning patients can go home the same day and avoid hospital stays.

Overall, the CyberKnife procedure represents a cutting-edge treatment option in radiation therapy, providing targeted, effective, and patient-friendly treatment for various medical conditions.

Comparing CyberKnife to Traditional Cancer Treatments

Traditional Surgery
For years, traditional surgery has been the go-to option for cancer treatment. There are certain risks associated with it, including infections, damage to the surrounding tissues, and even complications from anaesthesia. In many cases, when the tumour is at a critical location or cannot be reached, surgery is not an option because it risks damage to vital structures. And even if it can be operated on, any surgery that requires an incision is an invasive procedure that requires anaesthesia and can lead to blood loss.

Moreover, the recovery period from a traditional surgery can be lengthy and requires the patient to stay at the hospital. Even with all the care, there is still a risk of infection or scarring. With CyberKnife, these risks are eliminated. In this, high-energy beams of radiation are delivered straight to the tumour. There is minimal to no impact on the surrounding tissues, allowing the patients to avoid the long recuperation period. Also, since there is no incision, the complications associated with it can be avoided as well.

Chemotherapy

For Chemotherapy, the patient is injected with drugs to destroy the cancer cells. It is an effective treatment, but it comes with the downside of affecting healthy cells as well. So, a patient undergoing chemotherapy has to suffer through side effects like fatigue, nausea, hair loss, and more. The treatment takes several months, and a patient has to go through multiple sessions. During this time, the patient will be in extreme discomfort and have a weakened immune system.

With CyberKnife, you get a more targeted approach. Unlike chemotherapy, it is focused only on the tumour and not the entire body. This reduces the risk of side effects and even preserves the quality of life of the patient. Even the sessions are quicker and fewer compared to the chemotherapy schedule patients have to go through.

Conventional Radiotherapy

In conventional radiotherapy, the cancer cells are destroyed using high-energy rays. It might sound similar to CyberKnife, however, there is a key difference. Conventional radiotherapy is not as precise as the CyberKnife treatment. This means that the surrounding tissues absorb higher doses of radiation and increase the risk of side effects like fatigue and skin irritation. Furthermore, the higher dosage even limits the radiation that can be delivered safely to the patient.

Since CyberKnife can deliver a higher dose of radiation to kill the tumor in fewer sessions, it is a better alternative to the conventional radiotherapy treatment, Moreover, thanks to the robotic arms and advanced imaging, it ensures that only the tumor is damaged, and not the healthy tissues surrounding it.

CyberKnife at Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore

Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore, stands out as a premier healthcare institution which is leading the country in terms of its comprehensive cancer care and cutting-edge medical technology. With the introduction of the CyberKnife system, our reputation has only solidified as the front-runner in cancer treatment, offering a wide range of advanced treatment options to its patients.

Apollo Hospitals focuses on a multidisciplinary approach. With a team of expert surgeons oncologists, radiologists, and other specialists, we are able to provide personalized treatment plans to our patients and ensure that they receive the highest standard of care.

Since the beginning, we have been committed to patient-centered care, focusing on the well-being of patients. From the consultation to the follow-up, we ensure that the comfort of our patients is our top priority. To support this commitment, we have supported our doctors and medical staff with state-of-the-art facilities, including advanced equipment, modern treatment rooms, and comfortable accommodations.

Through investment in devices like CyberKnife, we are highlighting our dedication to offering the best, world-class care. There are numerous success stories of patients with recurrent or inoperable cancers who have undergone CyberKnife treatment at the Apollo Hospitals and are now living a comfortable, cancer-free life. These stories underscore the exceptional medical care and the efficacy of the CyberKnife treatment offered by the Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore.

The Future of Cancer Treatment

The CyberKnife device marks a significant step forward in the fight against cancer. By offering this precise, effective, and non-invasive treatment, Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore is helping improve the quality of life of patients. For patients who haven’t seen any success through traditional treatments, this device offers new hope.
As medical technology continues to evolve, we promise to lead the way. With ongoing research and development, there is no doubt that many more breakthroughs in cancer treatment and care are on the way, bringing us to a future where a cancer diagnosis isn’t as daunting as now.