I’m posting this so help people understand why it is vital that we have access to Cyberknife, and that means sorting out the funding issue.
To understand the value of Cyberknife it is necessary to understand the shortcomings of conventional radiotherapy, and how Cyberknife can overcome these.
Conventional radiotherapy is generally given from a set position, and involves delivering radiation in two or three wide angled beams. Because conventional radiotherapy is delivered in a wide beam it is not very good for small tumours, due to the risk of overlapping onto healthy tissue, and so it is usually reserved for large areas (such as MX sites). Consequently when conventional rads are used on small tumours, it is usually only at a low gray (palliative dose). The problem then is, that if tumours are treated at a palliative dose, they can return, and generally speaking conventional radiotherapy is not used on the same area twice (unless the fist session took place many years ago).
Conventional radiotherapy usually involves short treatment sessions over a fairly long period.
Cyberknife on the other hand involves hundreds of narrow beams of radiation delivered from numerous directions on a moving robotic arm. As the patient is being treated the machine takes thousands of images, which are fed back to the computer driving the robot, so that miniscule adjustments can be made to compensate for any movement. Sometimes a seed is also implanted into the tumour being treated as an additional guide, to ensure even greater precision (particularly with visceral organs). Additionally, each of the individual beams fired is on it’s own too weak to damage heathy tissue - it is only when all the beams collide in the centre of a tumour that their effect is multiplied many times over, and they cause enormous damage to the cancer. Once they leave the tumour the beams continue on their individual paths, so that there is no exit damage.
All in all this precision means that damage to healthy tissue is virtually non-existant, and this enables Cyberknife to be used at a curative dose. Even if a tumour then grows in the same area, Cyberknife can treat the same area again.
The other plus is that Cyberknife is given over a much shorter period (usually 3 - 5 sessions), although each session is much longer (usually around 2-3 hours).
Cyberknife is not a cure for cancer, but it can destroy tumours, and so delay progression. Yes Cyberknife treatment is more expensive than conventional radiotherapy, but several NHS Hospitals now have it (so costs will steadily reduce), and also it can save money in the long term, by delaying the point when patients become dependent on chemotherapy (which is the really expensive treatment).
Hope this information helps people to understand why this issue is so important.
Thank you Lemongrove.
As you know I have recently had cyberknife treatment. Can I also add that as well as the possibility of slowing cancer progression I was given the funding for treatment because it was thought my bone tumour was likely to cause other problems for me in the future if left untreated and it was in a difficult position to treat ( aren’t they all?). It is hoped the Cyberknife will help with my quality of life as well as the quantity.x
Thanks for that explanation Lemongrove. I have followed quite closely all the discussion on here regarding Cyberknife, but have never fully understood how it works! I have bone mets which are currently active again in some places, so am due to start 18 sessions of Taxol next week (oh joy!). I don’t really know if I’m a suitable candidate for Cyberknife, but my husband & I are off to The Royal Marsden in two weeks for a second opinion chat with the Professor there, who we have seen once before, and I hope to raise the question with him. Wish me luck!!
Dugsy
Just wanted to say thanks for the info - the more info we all have the better for everyone
Linda
Hi Lemongrove
Can I ask a question - do you know if Cyberknife RT would be possible at a future date if one had already had conventional RT. Just that I went against docs’ recommendations for bilateral MX and had WLE’s plus RT instead. Would like to know that if it did recur I had this as an option.
S
Hello Sheil,
Cyberknife can be used after conventional radiotherapy, but it is only used on small tumours (under 3.5 cm). Also, it isn’t used on primary breast tumours.
Thanks LG
Good luck to all those it will help.
S
After reading this thread I e mailed my MP (Tory) about Cyberknife and why there isn’t greater access to it on the NHS. I have just received a letter back from her to say that she will be raising this with the Secretary of State for Health. She is going to let me have a copy of his response too! So I would urge everyone to google their MP and send them an e mail about why Cyberknife is only offered in certain parts of the Country.
The more e mails to MPs the better!!
Suzanne x