Cyberknife was invented by Stanford University professor, Dr. John Alder in 1992. Cyberknife was using same type of technology that’s been use on long range missile tracking defense system, to transform its technology to use on tracking tumor. This innovation was so advanced in science technology, which gives a big surprise in treating tumor.
Synchrony patient’s breathing to adjust treatment
Cyberknife with Synchrony is the first equipment can carry out mobile radiation treatment system (Dynamic Radiosurgery System). When using traditional linear accelerator to treat lung or abdominal tumor, because of breathing tumor will move around, it makes very difficult for doctor to give treatment, also he needs to take extra time to teach patient to adjust rhythm of breathing, in order to avoid damage to other nearby organs during radiation treatment. The latest Synchrony technique develop by Cyberknife can resolve these problem, Synchrony can recording patient’s breathing circle to use on tracking tumor’s position, also compare with tumor’s X-ray image, to show its relationship between outside body movement and inside tumor movement, to assure tumor’s correct position, in order to give exact radiation treatment.
Cyberknife applicable diseases:
- Malignant tumors-astrocytomas, gliomas, skull base tumors, metastases (brain and bony), nasopharyngeal carcinomas
- Benign tumors-meningiomas, acoustic neuromas, schwannomas, pituitary adenomas, hemangioblastomas, craniopharngiomas, other benign tumors
- Vascular malformations-arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), cavernous malformations
- Functional disorders-trigeminal neuralgia
- Extracranial tumors and lesions-base of skull, neck, cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, pancreas, liver, lungs, other lesions, tumors and conditions anywhere in the body when radiation treatment is indicated.
Taipei Medical University-Wanfang Medical Center is the first hospital to have CyberKnife, which has become the first CK clinical training center in Asia, to receive doctors’ trainees from all Asia countries before opening their own CK centers.
CyberKnife treatment flow:
Please bring the following documents when seeking treatment in the CyberKnife Center. ( Patients are kindly requested to prepare all the following documents so that our doctors can better understand your conditions)
- Discharge summery
- Operation report
- Pathology report
- Computer tomography (CT) and report
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and report
- PETS and report
- Laboratory (blood) report
- Radiotherapy records
- Chemotherapy records
Fiducial marker implantation:
- Purpose：To have an internal position system to track the precise location of the tumor.
- Attention:
- Patients have to be admitted into the hospital for observations after implanting the fiducial marker.
- Patients cannot eat anything for 8 hours before the surgery.
- Process during the implantation:
- Ascertain the target position of the fiducial marker through the volumetric computer tomography(VCT) or the ultrasonic guidance.
- Scan the target position
- Sterilize the skin of the operative field
- Inject local anesthesia.
- Fiducial Marker: a golden needle of about 0.8 *5mm; it is not necessary to take it out after the treatment.
- Several scanning are required in order to confirm the position of the golden needle
- Wound care after the implantation:
- Pressure has to be exerted upon the piercing point to prevent bleeding; patients often have to rest on the bed for 1-2 hours
- Swabs can be removed 24 hours after the implantation; before the removal, patients are advised not to get wet.
- Patients are kindly asked to inform the nursing staffs immediately when they have chest pain, abdominal pain or secretions from the wound.
- Possible complications after the implantation:
- Bleeding and infection
- Injury of the surrounding organs
- Implantation in lungs: a few patients may cough up blood, or may have pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema; they only have to rest for a few days; very few pneumothorax cases (<1%) require chest-tube insertions.
- Cast production:To produce immobilization casts according to the size of the patients, in order to limit patient’s moves when they are having the treatment but without causing them any discomforts.
- Attentions during the treatment:
- Do not rinse the mark on the skin with soap
- Do not apply any lotions or cosmetics on the operational skin during treatment period
- Patients will not feel pain when they are having the treatment; it feels like having radiology tests
- Please be relaxed and enjoy the soft music; it is better to fall asleep, so that the muscles of the whole body will be relaxed and the operational body part will be stationary, this will shorten the treatment time.
- There will not be any hazardous radiological substances left in the body after the treatment.
- The treatment time is about 1hour.
- Side-effects of the treatment:
- Patients will have weaker physical conditions; they are kindly asked to have enough sleep and replenish their nutrition when feeling tired.
- A few patients will have the following discomforts:
- If the operational part is the head: slight headache, dizzy
- If the operational part is the lower abdomen or the lower spine: slight nausea, vomit
- Our doctors will prescribe appropriate medicines to relieve the discomforts depending on the situation
- Attentions after the treatment:The effects will not be immediately seen after the CyberKnife treatment. Patients have to receive long periods of after-treatments in order to assess the curative effect. Therefore, patients are required to receive after-treatments regularly after the treatment.
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