The CyberKnife System was approved by the FDA in 2001 for the treatment of tumors anywhere in the body. Unlike conventional external radiation therapies that take weeks or months to complete, CyberKnife treatments at our cancer center in Anchorage are completed in one to five days, with minimal to no side effects. With the CyberKnife System, sub-millimeter beams of radiation are delivered directly and precisely to the tumor, while minimizing the damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. There is generally no need for anesthesia, incisions or injections.

Conventional external radiotherapy systems typically treat a larger area to account for the possibility of microscopic involvement in nearby tissues or lymph node regions. However, when doing so is not clinically necessary, treating more normal tissue results in an increased risk of both short-term and long-term side effects. The precision of CyberKnife allows for higher doses of radiotherapy per treatment, and therefore, fewer total treatments. Finally, the real-time tumor tracking with CyberKnife (which is not available on most conventional radiotherapy treatment systems) is able to follow the movement of the tumor during respiration and other involuntary bodily functions, allowing for a smaller margin around the tumor and a lower risk of side effects. The CyberKnife System addresses these conventional radiation limitations by using its robotic arm to deliver small beams of targeted radiation directly to the tumor, from virtually any angle around the patient. And, the CyberKnife System can adjust in real-time to compensate for the movement of the tumor or surrounding organs during treatment.

Of all the cancer centers in Anchorage, at Alaska CyberKnife Center at Providence Cancer Center, you can be confident that you are receiving the most advanced SBRT/SRS treatments available. Benefits of our CyberKnife system include:

• Use of real-time imaging and intelligent tumor tracking to ensure precise delivery of radiation directly to the tumor, sparing healthy tissue and nearby organs, and minimizing side effects.
• Comfortable, non-invasive treatment that does not require the use of uncomfortable and invasive stereotactic frames bolted to patients’ heads or compression techniques to immobilize the patient and tumor. With the CyberKnife System, all patients are fitted with a custom-made body cradle to help maintain position and ensure comfort during each treatment session.
• Outpatient treatment over the course of one to five days. Most patients continue their normal activities during and after CyberKnife cancer treatment.
• Effective for treating tumors throughout the body, according to published clinical studies