Kenya has made a significant leap in tech and cancer treatment with the launch of CyberKnife technology. This system features high-tech radiotherapy with precise targeting of tumors, minimising damage to surrounding healthy tissues. For patients previously considered inoperable or unsuitable for traditional radiotherapy, CyberKnife’s non-invasiveness is the glimmer of light you’ve been waiting for! And for doctors, you can now administer real-time imaging and automated dose delivery.
The milestone will transform Kenya’s cancer treatment landscape, and we couldn’t help sharing the news with you in the spirit of the brain, bladder, and skin cancer awareness month of May. Read on to discover this breakthrough, a beacon of hope for cancer patients, their families, and doctors.
What Is CyberKnife Treatment Technology?
The CyberKnife technology is an ultra-modern cancer treatment alternative to traditional surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. How does it work? Picture this: A robot moving and bending effortlessly around the patient to deliver radiation. It also includes sophisticated real-time imaging and software that precisely maps the tumor’s location.
What to Expect During a CyberKnife Procedure
First, imaging will ascertain the tumor’s location, size, and shape. These details help doctors pre-set certain parameters and a personalised treatment plan that outlines the precise radiation doses and angles needed to target the tumour effectively.
You’ll lie comfortably during the procedure as the CyberKnife machine does its magic, and a session takes about half an hour to about three. Even better, it’s painless, and you can resume your duties immediately.
Why CyberKnife Is Better Compared to Traditional Cancer Treatment
While traditional cancer treatment procedures deliver results, CyberKnife technology offers various bonus points. So whether you’re a doctor, patient, or seeking treatment for your loved one, consider it for the following merits:
Precision and Accuracy
Doctors can configure the machine to operate at particular angles, ensuring it targets only the tumor to a T. The result? Sub-millimeter accuracy, which ensures that:
- The tumor receives the right maximum dose
- Surrounding cells and tissues get minimal to no radiation exposure, enhancing safety and minimizing side effects.
Compare this technique with chemo, which works throughout the body, affecting fast-growing skin, hair, and bone marrow cells.
CyberKnife’s real-time motion synchronisation also aids perfection. Here’s how it works: During treatment, you may turn, sneeze, or change position. These movements, including breathing, can shift the tumour by centimetres. Now, here’s the mind-boggling part: The CyberKnife machine synchronises the radiation delivery with those movements! How cool is that? It achieves this by:
- Verifying the tumour’s exact position and adjusting its target accordingly.
- Using synchrony (a real-time adaptive delivery technology) to deliver radiation to a tumour in motion.
So it alleviates uncomfortable positions, restraint, or breath-holding during breast cancer therapy.
Reduced Treatment Time
Unlike regular cancer treatments that take months or prolonged daily treatments, CyberKnife requires only approximately five sessions within about two weeks.
Better Life Quality During Treatment
You can return to your daily routine after a CyberKnife procedure.
Other treatments like chemo may leave you tired, while prostate cancer surgery recovery takes weeks.
Goodbye, hair loss!
CyberKnife’s precision targets only the tumour, reducing the likelihood of side effects to the surrounding cells. On the contrary, treatments like radiation therapy target actively dividing matrix cells. And because it’s not precise, it kills other cells in its way, like hair growth cells, hence hair loss.
Non-Invasiveness
Non-invasive treatments don’t need incisions or cutting. And CyberKnife procedure is exactly that; zero surgical knives, despite the name. Therefore, no long recovery time, scars, or surgical complications.
Comfort
CyberKnife is a painless procedure. Also, the patient stays awake and comfortable as the robot does most of the movement.
Are There Any Disadvantages?
While CyberKnife is an amazing option, there are some inevitable side effects due to the treatment—for example, headaches in the case of brain cancer, nausea, and fatigue.
Also, it’s costly, given its advanced technology and acquisition costs. However, we hope the government, stakeholders, and insurers will use helpful interventions and financial models to enhance affordability.
What Does CyberKnife Mean for Kenya’s Healthcare System
This new technology can treat various cancers, presenting a versatile therapy option. To boot, patients with cancers previously declared inoperable or untreatable now have a ray of hope, and doctors can anticipate better patient outcomes.
It also puts the country at the forefront of medical advancements, with more avenues for medical research and capacity building for enhanced cancer care.
Conclusion: The Silver Lining for Cancer Treatment
CyberKnife technology presents a futuristic method that’s painless, non-invasive, and precise, offering a better quality therapy alternative. It’ll also open doors to treatment for patients with cancers previously pronounced untreatable, due to the complicated nature of the required remedy.
While we are still understanding what causes cancer and how to prevent it, a healthy lifestyle has been sighted as one of the ways to keep cancer at bay. At Waterfront clinic we can guide you to achieve this through better nutrition and mental healthcare for stress management, general well-being, and improved immunity
As a team of caring professionals, we offer several services that cater to all your healthcare needs. We encourage you to book your appointment today to start your journey towards a healthier lifestyle.