Inha University Hospital is proud to be the first hospital in South Korea to install a 4th generation and 4-dimensional Robotic CyberKnife Radiosurgery system for treatment of various cancers and lesions in the body and central nervous system, many of which have been diagnosed as inoperable, unresectable and oligo-metastatic disease.
CyberKnife radiosurgery system delivered hundreds of finely collimated radiation beam to the tumor and effectively eradicated tumor cells without pain, bleeding and anesthesia. With Synchrony system installation, patients no longer have to hold their breath during a procedure because it simultaneously tracks both the movement of the tumor and breathing patterns of the patient and treatment complications are reduced. Furthermore, 4-dimensional planning system can be provided physicians with more precise calculation of region of interest and normal organ radiation dose
The Cyberknife Radiosurgery Program in Inha University Hospital was founded in March 2008. Inha University Hospital Radiation Oncology Department has set up a multidisciplinary approach to provide patients with the most comprehensive diagnosis and treatment process possible. The Radiation Oncology Department also provides radiosurgery consultation for a variety of cancerous diseases.
The CyberKnife, a robotic radiosurgery system, has many advantages which iclude no recovery time, simple outpatient treatment process, extremely accurate radiation targeting, allows the utilization of higher doses of radiation, minimizes damage to healthy tissue, and one is able to immediately resume normal daily activities – compared to Gammaknife radiosurgery as well as conventional radiation therapy such as tomotherapy and image guided radiation therapy. It allows physicians to provide a precise, targeted, painless therapy alternative to open surgery and to provide a treatment option for tumors that are otherwise untreatable.
Existing radiotherapyCyberknife radiosurgeryTreatment period10~60 days1~5 daysReal-time tumor trackingImpossiblePossible4-dimensional treatmentImpossiblePossibleApproach direction1~6 directions100~200 directions
Existing radiotherapyCyberknife radiosurgery High dose delivery Impossible Possible Local control rate Relatively low High Accuracy of treatment Above 5mm Less than 1~1.5mm Side effect of treatment Relatively high Low
The CyberKnife treatment is suitable for elder patients who may not be able to tolerate aggressive surgical procedures, or may have a condition diagnosed as inoperable and want or need an alternative to traditional open surgery. The CyberKnife radiosurgery are patients with mainly lung, liver, prostate, pancreas, brain tumors and metastasis to lung, liver, brain and bone and recurrent tumors in the previously irradiated field as well.
So, CyberKnife will give patients new hope for the treatment of tumors and lesions that previously have been diagnosed as inoperable or untreatable with existing technology.
Dr. Woochul Kim works for the Department of Radiation Oncology, CyberKnife Center, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, South Korea and can be reached at cancer@inha.ac.kr or 82-32-890-3070.
