Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is radiosurgery and how is it different from radiation therapy?
2. What does the CyberKnife treat?
3. What are the side-effects of CyberKnife treatment?
4. Is CyberKnife treatment covered by my insurance?

1. What is radiosurgery and how is it different from radiation therapy?
   Both CyberKnife, a form of radiosurgery, and traditional radiation therapy devices are designed to deliver radiation to a specific target. The objective is to destroy (or ablate) cancerous cells or tumor cells and decrease the size of a tumor as well as eliminate pain or other symptoms caused by a tumor. Radiosurgery and radiation therapy delivered radiation beams with the same level of energy but the manner in which they are delivered is different. The precision of CyberKnife allows a higher dose of radiation to reach cancer cells while sparing adjacent healthy tissues and organs.
   
   The CyberKnife system is tested to 0.5 millimeter of accuracy on a stationary target, such as a tumor in the brain or spine. We can track to an accuracy of 1.5 millimeters on a moving tumor, such as one in the lung or liver, when you breathe or your heart beats. This precision allows us to treat cancerous lesions in the brain while avoiding critical structures such as the brain stem and optic nerves that should not receive radiation. Likewise, we can treat spinal tumors but avoid or minimize the radiation dose to the spinal cord. When treating tumors in the liver or lung, we can avoid critical arteries and veins.
   
   The ability to tailor a treatment plan to each patient helps ensure that cancerous cells within a tumor receive maximum dose of radiation but nearby healthy cells do not. Additional benefits of CyberKnife treatment include patient comfort because this is a non-invasive procedure without blood loss or side effects associated with anesthesia. We can also treat lesions in areas that have already been treated with radiation.
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2. What does the CyberKnife treat?
   CyberKnife treats:
   
   • Cancerous lesions in the brain
   • Tumors within the spine
   • Metastatic liver cancers
   • Lung cancer
   • Benign brain tumors such as acoustic neuromas or meingiomas
   • Trigeminal neuralgia
   • Malformations of blood vessels (AVM) in the brain
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3. What are the side-effects of CyberKnife treatment?
   The most common side-effect is fatigue. Patients experience varying degrees of fatigue depending on their medical condition. Some feel the need to take daily naps while under treatment while others are treated in the morning and return to work in the afternoon. Other side effects, such as skin irritation or nausea, are rare. Our CyberKnife team works with you to determine what you need to make your treatment as comfortable and effortless as possible.
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4. Is CyberKnife treatment covered by my insurance?
   CyberKnife, like other forms of radiation therapy, is generally covered by insurance companies, including Medicare. Our reimbursement coordinator will help you verify and understand your insurance coverage as well as navigate patient assistance programs when needed.
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