Defining Cyberknife & Its Value
The CyberKnife System is a brand-name radiation therapy device manufactured by Accuray Incorporated. It is a linear accelerator (linac) which emits high energy X-rays in a process usually referred to as "X-ray therapy" or "photon therapy."
When the Cyberknife is used to treat Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders (like brain tumors), its therapy is called “Stereotactic RadioSurgery” (SRS). When used outside the CNS, its therapy is called “Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy” (SBRT).
I have addressed SBRT and its benefits (and inconsistent benefits) many times – in my recent 2019 review of the ASCO GI Symposium, in my reviews of the two 2018 ASCO conferences and in research reviews when significant reports are issued.
Some of the research, upon which I report, assesses the outcomes of thousands of patients.
If radiation therapy is to be used, there is an advantage to PROTON Beam Therapy, which is not the same as PHOTON Xray therapy. The Proton’s Bragg peak phenomenon spares healthy tissue from debilitating adverse events, which events might irreversibly delay continued therapy. Two proton centers in the USA specialize in pancreatic cancer.
Of course anyone can examine SBRT outcomes by careful use of PubMed.
PhilipJax