CyberKnife in India
CyberKnife is a form of radiation treatment that involves no cutting. A robotic arm delivers precise beams of radiation from many angles onto a tumour, tracking it as you breathe. It can treat targets in the brain and the body, usually over a few short sessions, and most people carry on with normal life between them.
- Also called
- CyberKnife radiosurgery, robotic stereotactic radiosurgery, SBRT
- Anaesthetic
- None. You lie still and awake; nothing touches you
- Sessions
- Usually one to five, spread over about a week
- Commonly treats
- Prostate, lung, liver, pancreas, spine and brain tumours
- Key strength
- Tracks the tumour as you breathe, so it treats moving targets in the body
- Cost
- Depends on the target and number of sessions. Written estimate before you travel
What CyberKnife actually is
Like Gamma Knife, the name is misleading: there is no knife and no blade, and nothing touches your body. CyberKnife is a radiation machine mounted on a robotic arm. It delivers many weak beams of radiation from different angles that all meet at the tumour, so the target gets a high dose while the healthy tissue around it gets very little.
Its defining feature is movement. The robotic arm can approach from hundreds of angles, and the system tracks the tumour in real time as you breathe. That is what lets it treat moving targets in the body, such as the lung and liver, which fixed machines find harder. You may also see it described as robotic radiosurgery or SBRT.
Who it suits, and who it does not
Often a good option
- Prostate cancer, treated in a few sessions instead of many weeks
- Small lung and liver tumours, including where surgery is risky
- Spine and pancreatic tumours near sensitive structures
- Brain tumours and metastases
- Tumours that move as you breathe, thanks to real-time tracking
- Patients not well enough for surgery under general anaesthetic
Usually not the answer
- Large tumours, where the dose to healthy tissue becomes too high
- Cancers spread widely through the body
- Tumours with a diffuse, unclear border
- Cases where removing tissue for diagnosis or bulk is the priority
CyberKnife is not better than surgery or than Gamma Knife in every case; it is better for some and worse for others. If your scans show a different approach fits, the specialist on your call will tell you. See how CyberKnife and Gamma Knife compare.
What happens, step by step
- A moulded mask or body cradle is made to help you stay still. No frame is pinned to the skull, unlike frame-based Gamma Knife.
- Imaging. A CT, often with an MRI, maps the target precisely. Small markers are sometimes placed near the tumour to help tracking.
- Planning. A radiation oncologist and physicist design your dose plan over the following days.
- Treatment. You lie still while the robotic arm moves around you, delivering beams. Each session lasts roughly 30 to 90 minutes. You feel nothing.
- Between sessions. There is no recovery to speak of, so most people carry on normally between the one to five sessions.
- Follow-up scans. The result is judged over the following months, as the tumour shrinks or stops growing.
Side effects and recovery
Because nothing is cut, there is no surgical recovery. Side effects depend on where you are treated: tiredness is common, and treating the prostate, lung or other organs brings effects specific to that area, which your specialist will explain. As with all radiation, CyberKnife does not remove the tumour on the day; it stops the cells growing, and the tumour shrinks or stabilises over the months that follow.
What it costs in India
The cost depends on the target and the number of sessions. India is considerably less expensive than Western countries for CyberKnife, which is why international patients look here, but a firm figure needs a specialist to see your scans first. You receive a written estimate covering the treatment and follow-up before you commit, with no fee to us built in; the hospital pays us, so your bill is never marked up.
| Procedure | Indicative cost | Hospital stay |
|---|---|---|
| Stereotactic radiosurgery | $5,700 | Outpatient |
| Radical prostatectomy (surgical alternative) | $7,000–10,000 | 4–7 days |
Questions patients ask
Are CyberKnife and Gamma Knife the same thing?
No, though they do a similar job. Gamma Knife uses fixed cobalt sources and treats the head only, usually in one session. CyberKnife uses a robotic arm and can treat the brain and the body, usually over a few sessions, and tracks moving targets. For many brain tumours the outcomes are broadly comparable, and the better choice depends on the target's size, site and movement. Read the full comparison.
Is CyberKnife painful?
No. The radiation cannot be felt, and unlike frame-based Gamma Knife, nothing is pinned to you; a soft mask or body cradle simply helps you stay still. Most people find the sessions undemanding.
How many sessions will I need?
Usually between one and five, spread over about a week. The exact number depends on the target and is set by your radiation oncologist. This is far fewer than a standard radiotherapy course, which can run daily for several weeks.
Is CyberKnife good for prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is one of CyberKnife's most common uses, treated in a few sessions rather than many weeks of daily radiotherapy. Whether it suits your case depends on the stage and grade of the cancer, which a specialist can assess from your reports. See the full guide to CyberKnife for prostate cancer.
When is CyberKnife not recommended?
It is usually not the answer for large tumours, cancer that has spread widely, or tumours with an unclear border, and it is not used when the priority is to remove tissue for diagnosis. An honest specialist will tell you when a different approach fits your case better.
Does CyberKnife use the same radiation as Gamma Knife?
Both use high-energy radiation to the same end, but by different means. Gamma Knife uses gamma rays from cobalt sources; CyberKnife uses X-rays from a linear accelerator on a robotic arm. You are not made radioactive by either, and the radiation acts only where the beams converge.