Cyberknife in Germany – treatment in the Best Hospitals
Here you will find most technologically advanced cyberknife hospitals in Germany
Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiotherapy
According to the Focus magazine, the Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiotherapy ranks among the top German medical facilities in the area of its specialization! The department offers all types of modern radiation therapy for the treatment of benign and malignant tumors. The department has state-of-the-art equipment, nam
The CyberKnife is one of the latest methods of radiosurgery and radiotherapy. The device very accurately irradiates tumors and can also be used for treating non-oncological diseases. The tumor can be completely destroyed within just a single session and with a minimal risk of side effects. This treatment method is not available everywhere. You can contact one of the clinics in Germany to undergo your CyberKnife treatment.
Content
It would be an exaggeration to say that the CyberKnife system is used everywhere in Germany. This is an expensive radiosurgical unit, so it is available in leading clinics in Germany only.
You can undergo your CyberKnife treatment at the Charite University Hospital Berlin.
The Booking Health employees will take care of the organization of your trip. They will select a specialized center for you, make an appointment for the next date, take care of getting a visa and a flight, book an apartment, and provide an interpreter. A personal medical coordinator will be in touch with you 24/7 during your treatment.
What is the CyberKnife?
The CyberKnife is an image-guided stereotaxic radiation delivery system for both focal irradiation and radiation therapy. Focal irradiation involves the use of many small beams of radiation to deliver a high dose to a small target in one or more fractions. If the entire dose of radiation is delivered within a single session, the treatment method is called radiosurgery.
The CyberKnife system consists of a 6 MW linear accelerator mounted on a robotic arm and a digital X-ray imaging system. The dose of radiation is delivered by many beams and from different directions.
Benefits
Unlike the Gamma Knife, which can be used to treat intracranial tumors only, the CyberKnife can be used to irradiate neoplasms of other localizations. For example, doctors in Germany often use the CyberKnife for prostate cancer. This method allows doctors to completely cure the disease without surgery. Compared to other radiation options, the effect can be achieved with fewer procedures and with a lower risk of complications.
Other benefits of Cyberknife treatment in Germany are as follows:
- no need to place a stereotaxic frame that is fixed with screws to the skull;
- doctors can irradiate the moving organs, for example, the lungs;
- no need for a patient's rigid fixation;
- a very accurate delivery of radiation;
- the minimum dose of radiation for the tissues surrounding the tumor;
- comfortable painless treatment;
- a low risk of side effects and complications.
What can be irradiated with the CyberKnife?
The Cyberknife is most often used for cancer treatment. Nonetheless, the use of the treatment method is not limited to cancer indications. Radiation can destroy not only the tumor, so the CyberKnife can successfully be used for other pathologies, for example, trigeminal neuralgia and arteriovenous malformations.
But still, most of the irradiation procedures with this radiosurgical unit are performed for neoplasms. The Cyberknife is mostly used to treat brain tumors. Less commonly, the technique can be used for lung cancer, pancreatic, spinal cord, spine, liver, prostate, and bone tumors.
The CyberKnife is associated primarily with radiosurgery, that is, the destruction of a tumor within a single session. This is very convenient, but not always possible. The delivery of the entire dose of radiation within a single fraction is possible only:
- if a tumor is small;
- if a tumor has clear boundaries;
- if a tumor is located away from functionally important areas.
In other situations, irradiation in several sessions may be considered safer. But in any case, their number will be lower if you are undergoing your treatment with the CyberKnife system. Most cancers require 2 to 7 radiation sessions.
Comparison with surgery
Radiosurgery and surgery have similar names, but they are actually completely different techniques. When using the radiosurgical method, doctors do not make any incisions. They only irradiate the tumor and thus destroy it.
And yet, patients often ask if radiosurgery can fully replace a surgical procedure? The answer is maybe, but not always. The surgical technique of treatment for brain tumors is considered the main one. Radiosurgery instead of surgery can be used only if:
- a patient cannot undergo surgery for health reasons;
- a surgical intervention is associated with a high risk of complications or death, since the neoplasm is located in a hard-to-reach place or near vital centers;
- a complete cure is not expected, for example, irradiation is performed for a recurrent tumor or brain metastases.
Radiosurgery can safely destroy only small neoplasms. Unlike surgery, the effect is not immediate, but gradual: a tumor shrinks or disappears over several months, so the symptoms do not regress as quickly.
At the same time, radiosurgery has many advantages: the technique is safe, non-invasive and painless, fast, and does not require a hospital stay and rehabilitation. With the right selection of patients, this treatment can provide results as good as surgery.
You are welcome to use the Booking Health service to undergo your diagnostics and treatment in Germany. The website presents the best hospitals that admit foreign patients. On our website, you can find prices, compare the cost and make your appointment at the best price. The Booking Health staff can help you to find the most suitable Cancer Center and organize your trip.
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk and Dr. Sergey Pashchenko. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
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