Cuts Like a Cyberknife: New Surgical Technique for Prostate Cancer

CyberKnife is a noninvasive technology for treating prostate cancer.

Treatment planning involves MRI and CT imaging, which are fused into a single image.

The radiation oncologist and surgeon review fused images together and outline the prostate and surrounding structures.

Dose instructions are given to the computer to treat the prostate while protecting the rectum, bladder, and nerves controlling erections.

A robotic arm moves approximately 360 degrees around the patient during treatment.

One dose of radiation is delivered as hundreds of individual beams from different locations.

Each individual beam is a very low dose, causing minimal damage to tissue it passes through.

When hundreds of beams converge at the focal point of the prostate, they destroy the cancer.

Initially, patients were treated with CyberKnife over 5 consecutive days (Monday through Friday).

Initial data suggests treating patients every other day over 5 sessions (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Monday, Wednesday) may result in slightly fewer side effects.

Patients are monitored with PSA measurements, which have shown a nice drop-off over the years since treatment, indicating cancer cure.

Monitoring of urinary side effects and erectile dysfunction has found very minimal side effects in the majority of patients.

The overall cost of CyberKnife treatment is slightly less than some other treatments due to the shorter treatment period.

CyberKnife treatment is covered by most insurance companies.

Patients are pre-screened to ensure insurance coverage will not be a problem before CyberKnife is offered.

Patients should ask their physician about experience, number of patients treated, duration of practice, treatment approach, and follow-up plan.

Patients should ask what side effects to expect, when they will occur, and how they will be managed.

A working relationship with the physician is important so the physician can be the patient's advocate during cancer treatment.