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Boulder Community Hospital, in association with the Boulder Neurological Institute, has opened the Rocky Mountain CyberKnife Center, the only CyberKnife facility located between Chicago, IL and Phoenix, AZ. The new center features the innovative CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery system (SRS) that can be used to treat vascular abnormalities, tumors, functional disorders, and cancers of the body with sub-millimeter accuracy. The CyberKnife’s computer-controlled robotic arm treats areas of the body that are unreachable by older SRS. Head, neck, spine and whole body treatments are now possible. Surgeons also can target multiple tumors at different locations during a single treatment.
How It Works The technology incorporates a compact, lightweight linear accelerator (LINAC) mounted on a robotic arm to provide surgeons with unparalleled flexibility in targeting tumors. The device can provide radiosurgery for lesions anywhere in the body where radiation treatment is indicated. It has been used to radiosurgically treat otherwise untreatable tumors and malformations. The CyberKnife offers an enhanced ability to avoid critical structures and provides a broader range of clinical applications, including the ability to treat: - Lesions in and around the cranium that were previously unreachable
- Lesions in the neck and spine
- Larger tumors
- Inoperable tumors
- Lesions throughout the body
Unlike existing systems that require an external metal frame to be attached to the patient’s skull for target localization, CyberKnife relies on internal reference points in the anatomy. CyberKnife has an advanced image-guidance program that uses bony landmarks or small embedded markers to target the radiation. Pre-operative CT images are used to define the spatial relationship between the patient’s bone structure and the lesion. Any patient movement during treatment is detected by the system’s X-ray cameras in real time. The robotic arm then repositions automatically to ensure accurate delivery of each radiation beam. Planning scans for the procedure can be performed in advance, providing surgeons more time to develop a treatment plan. The actual CyberKnife procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and takes about an hour. The patient can go home immediately after treatment. Treatment can be performed in stages with return sessions in the coming days or weeks.
History of the CyberKnife The first CyberKnife prototype was installed for clinical use at Stanford in 1994. CyberKnife technology was cleared for commercial use by the federal Food and Drug Administration in August, 2001. The technology has already been used to treat more than 3,000 patients worldwide. The CyberKnife is currently in use at nine facilities across the United States.
Consultations and Referrals We believe CyberKnife technology has revolutionized stereotactic radiosurgery and we are committed to serving the needs of doctors looking to give their patients the most effective treatment options available. If you have a question about CyberKnife and how it can benefit your patients, or want to arrange a consultation or referral, please call us at 303.448.4620. Films can be sent for evaluation via FedEx to: Rocky Mountain CyberKnife Center, 905 Alpine, Boulder, CO 80301; charge to FedEx account 0802-1636-0.
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