CyberKnife Treatment Process

1. Consultation - Patients meet with the physician to be evaluated, have their scans and records reviewed, and ask any questions. A team approach is used for some types of lesions, so some patients may have consultations with more than one CyberKnife physician.
   
   
2. Marker Placement - Occasionally patients with soft-tissue tumors or lesions may require three to five tiny gold markers called fiducials to be implanted to allow the CyberKnife to track the tumor or lesion during treatment. The fiducial’s placement is done as an outpatient process. Patients with tumors or lesions inside the brain do not require this step.
   
   
3. Treatment Set-up - Patients with brain or head-and-neck lesions are scheduled for a convenient visit to the hospital where a custom face or head and-shoulders mask is formed. This painless device is used to help minimize movement duringtreatment.
   
   
4. Imaging - The treating physician will order imaging scans appropriate for the individual, such as a CT, PET CT and/or MRI. The imaging data will be downloaded to the CyberKnife computer and used to customize a treatment plan. The patient will return home following the imaging studies and will be notified when the treatment plan is ready, typically about a week later.
   
   
5. Treatment Delivery - Once the treatment plan is finalized, the date and time of the patient’s first treatment will be confirmed. Depending on the type, size and location of the lesion, the patient may receive up to four additional outpatient treatments, usually delivered at least 24 hours apart. The patient will return home following each treatment.

Contact Us

For more information, please call 1-800-BARROW1 (227-7691) or 602-406-6281.