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CyberKnife therapy: Precision medicine in action

Our innovative, robot-guided CyberKnife systems enable the precise treatment of benign and malignant tumors in all body regions, often as a safe, non-invasive alternative to conventional radiation therapy or surgery.

At the European Radiosurgery Center Munich, we rely on state-of-the-art technologies for highly effective tumor therapies. Discover how our groundbreaking CyberKnife technology treats diseased tissue effectively, gently, and often in just a single session.

Each therapy is tailored to your individual needs. Schedule your personal consultation now!

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What is the CyberKnife?

Today, state-of-the-art precision robots like the CyberKnife enable real-time monitoring and adjustment of your therapy. This means maximum efficiency and safety in tumor treatment.

In selected situations involving various cancers and benign neoplasms, modern radiosurgery offers a reliable, painless and gentle alternative to conventional treatment methods.

Radiosurgery, pioneered by Lars Leksell, enables a level of precision that, in medical history, was often attributed only to surgery. However, as Leksell discovered, this precision is often possible without a scalpel or surgical incisions, to the benefit of many patients: through technically innovative and extremely precise radiation therapy.

The latest generation of CyberKnife devices combine this highest precision with individually tailored flexibility – in a radiosurgical robotic treatment system.

Requirements for CyberKnife therapy:

  • The target tissue to be treated must be clearly demarcated locally.
  • The tumor must not exceed a certain size.
  • In addition to the region to be treated, your general health also plays a crucial role in the treatment strategy.

If your individual situation is suitable for non-invasive Cyberknife therapy, treatment at the ERCM is carried out on an outpatient basis and promptly – accompanied by our experienced team of experts. The extreme precision of our treatments with targeted destruction of diseased tissue allows for high tumor control. The success rates of 90% and more are very high in most cases.

Your therapy session lasts about 30 minutes on average. An inpatient hospital stay, follow-up treatment or rehabilitation stay are usually not necessary.

You can quickly return to your usual everyday life and, in most cases, resume previous activities after your treatment.

Targeted elimination of the tumor

With CyberKnife therapy, the target volume (benign or malignant tumor) is irradiated with high-energy light waves, or photons, from many different angles. The effective dose is thus delivered centrally to the diseased tissue.

Over the following period, the treated tumor regresses. This can take a few weeks to several months. Over time, some tumors develop scarring where the diseased tissue was.

The innovative CyberKnife technology enables the treatment of even irregularly shaped tumors in sensitive regions (such as the optic or auditory nerve) without damaging the surrounding tissue.

The CyberKnife system combines 3 cutting-edge technologies:

  • 1

    Precision robotics

    A particularly light and compact linear accelerator on the robot arm optimally reaches all body regions.

  • 2

    Digital image location system

    This computer-controlled technology continuously locates the tumor and automatically compensates for changes in position and minor patient movements.

  • 3

    Respiratory compensation

    The third technical specialty is the ability to precisely target respiratory-mobile tumors with treatment. For example, lung, liver, and kidney tumors can often be eliminated in a single session.

To assess whether your condition can be treated with CyberKnife therapy in ERCM, you can send us current imaging (e.g. CT, MRI) and relevant findings in advance or upload them digitally.

Our reception team will be happy to send you a password-protected upload link to your email address.

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Special questions and answers about CyberKnife therapy

We know how important time is to you. That's why we quickly determine whether radiosurgical treatment can be successfully performed in our practice or whether another treatment might be appropriate for you. At ERCM, individual treatment options are always discussed and decided upon jointly with you and an interdisciplinary treatment team. Certain criteria must be met for CyberKnife therapy. It is an option for some patients in selected situations, for example, when surgery is not possible or not desired.

In Germany, the treatment option with the Gamma Knife system (also called the Leksell Gamma Knife) was established in Munich in 1994 and replaced by the first German robot-guided Cyberknife system in 2005. The CyberKnife was developed at Stanford University by the American Nneurosurgeon Professor John R. Adler. Research is continually driving groundbreaking scientific breakthroughs and medical innovations. Unlike the Gamma Knife, the Cyber Knife allows for precision radiosurgical treatment throughout the entire body. Dynamic position adjustment and innovative respiratory tracking allow the target tissue to be tracked and treated with extreme precision at all times during therapy. Modern radiosurgical procedures also eliminate the need for invasive fixation, making the treatment extremely comfortable for patients.

CyberKnife therapy is very gentle. Most patients experience no or only minor, temporary side effects, from which they recover quickly. Depending on the individual situation, the treated body region, and the size of the target volume, these may include headaches, nausea, or fatigue. In rare cases, tissue swelling may occur after CyberKnife therapy. This usually temporary reaction to the precision treatment can typically be well controlled.

You will be able to leave our center independently shortly after your treatment. A first follow-up examination is typically required after 3 to 6 months. Regular clinical and imaging checkups will document your healing progress. A follow-up CT or MRI scan is usually required. This can be performed at our ERCM or at your home location and sent to us by mail or digitally. The procedures at our center are fundamentally tailored to your individual wishes and needs. Discussions of findings are available in person or via video consultation.

Typically, a single treatment is sufficient to successfully eliminate diseased tissue. Depending on the type and location of the tumor, CyberKnife therapy can be divided into multiple sessions (up to five). If further tumors or metastases develop after your treatment, radiosurgical therapy can be applied again. This is well-established in various situations and is clinically standard.

Almost all private and international, health insurance providers cover the treatment costs. Please inquire for your cost estimate

If you are traveling to the ERCM in Munich Großhadern from another city or abroad, you should generally plan on staying for 3 to 5 days for the entire duration of therapy, depending on the indication.