How the CyberKnife Works

The CyberKnife features a compact, lightweight linear accelerator -- or radiation source -- mounted on a movable robotic arm. The patient lies on a table, wearing a custom-fit flexible mesh facemask or full-body immobilizer, while image guidance cameras locate the exact position of the tumor. Once the tumor’s location has been precisely mapped, the linear accelerator attached to the robotic arm goes to work, delivering multiple, highly-focused beams of radiation from many targeting positions and angles. These beams all intersect within the tumor or lesion, delivering a cumulative dose of radiation large enough to destroy the cancer cells.

There is no need for an uncomfortable stereotactic head or body frame during CyberKnife treatment, and the precision of the CyberKnife allows very little radiation to escape to surrounding tissue. This allows a higher dose of radiation to be used, improving effectiveness and helping increase the likelihood of radiosurgical success. It also greatly decreases the number of required treatments compared to external beam therapy.