CyberKnife® at Pennsylvania Hospital
CyberKnife is a noninvasive alternative to surgery for treating cancerous and noncancerous tumors anywhere in the body. CyberKnife delivers beams of high-dose radiation to tumors with extreme accuracy, offering hope to patients whose tumors were previously inoperable.
CyberKnife treatment involves no incision. In fact, it is the world's first and only robotic radiosurgery system designed to noninvasively treat tumors throughout the body.
How it works
CyberKnife radiosurgery delivers radiation with extreme accuracy. It targets the tumor with minimal exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue. Unlike surgery, CyberKnife does not remove tumors or lesions, but delivers a precise dose of radiation that destroys tumor cells and spares surrounding tissue.
CyberKnife is a frameless radiosurgery system consisting of integrated parts. The central component is a lightweight linear accelerator mounted on a robotic arm. The mobility of CyberKnife enables it to treat tumors and lesions from a variety of angles without clinician intervention or treatment interruption.
The radiation beams from CyberKnife adjust in real-time to a patient's breathing cycle. Many tumors, even when their movement has been restricted, continue to move during treatment delivery. CyberKnife's advanced robotic technology and ability to track tumor movement throughout the treatment, allows it to deliver radiation with extreme accuracy.
By dramatically reducing the planning margins and accounting for patient movement, CyberKnife minimizes damage to the surrounding healthy tissue.
View a virtual tour of the CyberKnife suite at Pennsylvania Hospital
The Advantage to Patients
- Noninvasive, so no incision, no pain and no blood loss
- Treats hard-to-reach tumors, including many that cannot be treated with conventional surgery
- Does not require anesthesia
- Performed as an outpatient procedure
- Quick return to normal activity
- Effective for lesions previously treated with radiation therapy
Types of Cancer treated with CyberKnife
Currently, CyberKnife is being used by Penn Medicine to treat:
