The CyberKnife System uses state-of-the-art robotics and advanced software technology, but it's not new. The CyberKnife System has over two decades of clinical evidence and has been used to help thousands of men and women with lung cancer take control of their disease.

• The CyberKnife System is a leading technology in SBRT, a specialized type of radiation therapy, used to treat early-stage, inoperable non-small cell lung cancer while minimizing side effects.1

• The CyberKnife System enables safe and effective SBRT for central lung tumors surrounded by sensitive structures2 and lung tumors close to the chest wall3.

• The CyberKnife System also provides excellent clinical results for patients with inoperable peripheral lung tumors1, 4,5.

• A combined analysis of two randomized trials indicates that pulmonary SBRT is better tolerated and may lead to improved overall survival compared with surgery for operable early-stage lung cancer6.

The FDA approved the CyberKnife System in 2001 for the treatment of tumors anywhere in the body, including the lungs. The CyberKnife System is supported by years of published clinical follow-up with a large number of patients.

CyberKnife System treatment is a non-surgical, outpatient procedure that requires no incisions or general anesthesia. Most patients will not require hospitalization or a lengthy recovery period. This makes CyberKnife treatment an excellent option for patients with medically inoperable lung cancer and those seeking an alternative to surgery.

CyberKnife treatment is typically completed in just 3 to 4 sessions over 1 to 2 weeks, compared to 20 to 30 sessions over 4 to 6 weeks with conventional radiotherapy.

CyberKnife treatment eliminates the discomfort and risk associated with seed implants.

Radiation therapy is a treatment that uses high-energy X-rays (photons) to kill, shrink, or control the growth of tumors. Radiation therapy works by damaging cells, preventing them from growing and dividing. The goal of any radiation treatment is to destroy cancer cells while minimizing side effects on healthy tissue. As imaging technologies have improved over the past few decades, radiation therapy has incorporated these improvements to optimize dose delivery and minimize side effects.

Radiation may be recommended as an alternative to surgery or in addition to other therapies. There are several types of radiation therapy. The CyberKnife System delivers a type of radiation therapy known as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) combines a high degree of localization accuracy with very high doses of extremely precise radiation delivered externally, thereby maximizing the cell-destroying effect on the tumor(s) while minimizing radiation-related injury to adjacent normal tissues.

High-dose, hypofractionated SBRT treatment delivered by the CyberKnife System has improved tumor control and patient survival compared to conventional radiotherapy for patients with inoperable stage 1 non-small cell lung cancer.

Furthermore, compared to conventional radiotherapy which requires approximately 20 to 30 sessions over several weeks, pulmonary SBRT can usually be completed in 3 to 4 sessions over 1 to 2 weeks.

There are more options than ever before for treating lung cancer, and the right option depends on the specific location of your tumor, the type of cancer, and its aggressiveness—as well as your overall health, age, and lifestyle. CyberKnife is an ideal treatment option for a wide range of cancer types and patient situations. The best way to determine if CyberKnife treatment is right for you is to find a CyberKnife treatment location and schedule an appointment to discuss your specific details.

Despite the higher dose rate associated with SBRT, multiple studies have validated that SBRT with CyberKnife is well-tolerated with minimal side effects. The ability to deliver precise radiation doses allows clinicians to decrease exposure to surrounding healthy tissue and minimize negative side effects on surrounding healthy tissues and organs. Most patients resume normal activity immediately after treatment sessions. However, side effects can and do occur. Most radiation side effects are minimal and last only a short time.

CyberKnife treatment is typically completed in just 3 to 4 sessions over 1 to 2 weeks, compared to 20 to 30 sessions over 4-6 weeks with conventional radiotherapy.

No anesthesia is required for CyberKnife treatment and treatment sessions are completed on an outpatient basis.

No anesthesia is required for CyberKnife treatment, and treatment sessions are completed on an outpatient basis. Some tumors may require the placement of fiducials within the lung. This procedure would be performed under local anesthesia.

The CyberKnife System was designed to provide the clinical team with a powerful tool to effectively manage cancer while minimizing side effects and the impact of treatment on patients' daily lives. Most patients can continue normal activity during and immediately after CyberKnife treatment—compared to the typical requirement to limit normal activity for several weeks after traditional surgery. In some circumstances, complications may occur.

Most patients can resume normal activity during and immediately after CyberKnife treatment—compared to the typical requirement to limit normal activity for several weeks after traditional surgery. In some circumstances, complications may occur.

The CyberKnife robot, guided by motion-synchronization software, can deliver radiation from virtually any angle—allowing it to maintain submillimeter accuracy throughout the treatment. This greater precision helps minimize the dose to surrounding healthy tissue, reducing the risk of many common side effects.^7,8

When you breathe, your torso moves—often several centimeters in just a few seconds. This means that a lung tumor—or other targets located near the lungs—will move continuously during the course of treatment.

Failure to adapt and synchronize radiation dose delivery with tumor movement can result in a decrease in the dose delivered to the target—and an increase in the dose delivered to surrounding healthy tissue. This can affect the overall effectiveness of treatment and potentially increase the incidence and severity of side effects.

Unlike any other radiation treatment, the CyberKnife System uses the world’s only real-time motion timing technology to continuously track that movement and adapt treatment delivery for submillimeter accuracy. This helps ensure that the radiation dose is delivered to the target—maximizing treatment effectiveness while minimizing the dose to surrounding tissues to help reduce the incidence of side effects. And unlike other radiation therapy options, the CyberKnife System requires no uncomfortable patient restraint or breath-holding techniques; you can relax and breathe normally, with complete confidence in CyberKnife’s timing capabilities.

Precisely delivering the prescribed radiation dose to the target is essential for optimizing long-term cancer control. Furthermore, precise dose delivery reduces irradiation of healthy tissues surrounding the target.

Because the lungs are surrounded by sensitive organs and tissues, accurate administration is critically important to reduce the incidence and severity of side effects and to protect quality of life both during and after treatment.

SBRT is a form of hypofractionated radiation therapy. Hypofractionation involves delivering a higher dose per fraction in a smaller total number of fractions. Hypofractionated radiation therapy, such as pulmonary SBRT, has been shown to provide clinical outcomes as good as conventional fractionation—while dramatically reducing both the number of treatments and the overall cost of care for both patients and payers.

Despite the higher dose rate associated with SBRT, multiple studies have validated that SBRT with CyberKnife is well-tolerated with minimal side effects. The ability to deliver precise radiation doses allows clinicians to decrease exposure to surrounding healthy tissue and minimize negative side effects that can reduce a patient's quality of life. Most patients resume normal activity immediately after treatment sessions. However, side effects can occur—and can be serious—with any treatment option and should be discussed with your doctor.

Strong clinical evidence demonstrates that hypofractionated, high-dose radiosurgery delivered by the CyberKnife System can offer improved tumor control and patient survival.10

• The CyberKnife System is a leading technology in SBRT, a specialized type of radiation therapy, used to treat early-stage, inoperable non-small cell lung cancer while minimizing side effects.9

• The CyberKnife System enables safe and effective SBRT for central lung tumors surrounded by sensitive structures2 and lung tumors close to the chest wall.3

• CyberKnife also provides excellent clinical results for patients with inoperable peripheral lung tumors1, 4, 5.

• A pooled analysis of two randomized trials indicates that pulmonary SBRT is better tolerated and may lead to improved overall survival compared with surgery for operable early-stage lung cancer.6

Because the CyberKnife System's precise targeting significantly reduces irradiation of surrounding healthy tissue, patients treated with the CyberKnife System may be candidates for re-irradiation in the event of recurrence. Furthermore, patients treated with the CyberKnife System may occasionally be candidates for surgical intervention in the event of recurrence.

Because the CyberKnife System's precise targeting significantly reduces irradiation of surrounding healthy tissue, patients treated with conventional radiotherapy systems may be candidates for re-irradiation with the CyberKnife System in the event of recurrence. Each patient should consult with their physician regarding their specific case.