CyberKnife

Pelham Medical Center in Greer is the first in the Upstate to offer new cancer-fighting technology.

CyberKnife is not a knife at all. It is the world’s first and only robotic radiosurgery system designed to treat tumors throughout the body, non-invasively, in five treatments or less.

The CyberKnife® M6™ at Gibbs Cancer Center & Research Institute at Pelham is a painless, non-invasive alternative to surgery for treatment of both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors. The CyberKnife system delivers powerful and highly targeted radiation to tumors, including those that are difficult to reach or inoperable, while minimizing damage to healthy surrounding tissue.

What does it treat?

CyberKnife is effective at treating numerous cancers including cancers of the head and spine, as well as tumors of the lung, pancreas, liver and kidney. It is also used for some benign conditions such as meningiomas, acoustic neuromas, pituitary adenomas and trigeminal neuralgia.

You may also hear CyberKnife referred to as SBRT (stereotactic body radiation therapy), or SRS (stereotactic radiosurgery).

For more information about conditions that CyberKnife can treat, please consult with your doctor or call 1-855-DNA-GIBBS to schedule a consultation with one of our radiation oncologists.

Patient benefits

There are many benefits to CyberKnife stereotactic radiation when compared to other types of radiation therapy:

• Pain-free treatments
• No incision
• Minimal to no side effects
• No anesthesia
• Outpatient procedure
• Short recovery time
• Immediate return to normal activity
• Minimal sessions required for treatment

How does it work?

Using “intelligent robotics,” CyberKnife delivers radiation through a “Linac” or linear accelerator mounted on a flexible robotic arm. The technology’s flexibility enables delivery of radiation to the targeted tumor or area with extremely high precision, while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

With its sophisticated imaging software, CyberKnife tracks movement of the tumor and patient during treatment, making adjustments as you move or breathe. As a result, your treatment experience is more comfortable, with no need for rigid body-stabilizing frames, breath-holding or breathing techniques often used during other types of radiation therapy.

Why is it unique?

• Non-invasive: Treatment does not require an incision or an invasive head frame eliminating pain and inconvenience.
• Advanced software: CyberKnife’s advanced imaging software tracks tumor and patient movement during treatment. No breath-holding or gated breathing.
• Accurate: It enables clinicians to confidently treat tumors with minimal harm to surrounding healthy tissue.
• Fast: All treatments are completed in one to five sessions. Each session usually lasts from 30 minutes to one hour.
• Beneficial: CyberKnife provides a pain-free, non-invasive alternative, eliminating the possible complications and lengthy recovery times associated with traditional surgery.
• A new treatment option: Patients undergo treatment without interruption of their daily routines or important events. You experience a better quality of life, both during and after treatment.

Average Number of Treatments