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In the News MHL Press Releases News Archives Patient Stories Cyberknife Images Video
IN THE NEWS UK USA Australia/New Zealand Europe Rest of World
24th May 2010
A robotic revolution in cancer treatment
The CyberKnife is transforming radiotherapy.
By Paul Dinsdale www.telegraph.co.ukFor Full Article on Line Click Here
The machine would not look out of place in the villain's lair in a James Bond film, except that it is used for purely benign purposes. It was developed along the same lines as the "robotic arm" technology used in car manufacturing, but this arm travels around a patient to deliver hundreds of beams of radiation to a tumour from many different angles, with absolute precision. This marvel of engineering is called the CyberKnife and it is the latest hi-tech weapon in the war against cancer.
Conventional radiotherapy can destroy or reduce a tumour, allowing precious extra months or even years of life, but the large doses of radiation can damage healthy tissue. Now the CyberKnife (pictured above) allows clinicians to target certain cancers much more accurately without affecting the surrounding tissue. The new technology also offers an option for treating tumours that used to be inoperable. read more
We are pleased to note that one of the patients parents who was first treated at the European Cyberknife Centre in Munich through our service three years ago has posted an important comment and we include all comments to this article below:
"My daughter aged 27years old had an Arterio Venous Malformation in her spinal cord level5/6, she had had a bleed in 2006 which had caused severe disabilities, as it was inoperable Prof Coakham at Frenchay Hospital sent her to the Cyberknife Centre in Munich where treatment was carried out. 18 months later her AVM is gone thanks to Cyberknife. We were told without treatment that she would certainly have another bleed in the furure and this would cause such damage to her spinal cordthat she would not be able to move at all. Bristol PCT paid for my daughter`s treatment, I believe she was the first NHS patient to have Cyberknife. I cannot thank them enough and the staff at Munich Cyberknife Centre."
"I am from Australia. Had Cyberknife in Malaysia as we dont have it in Australia. We have a family over here who were forced to send the wife / mother to USA for Cyberknife. Now they are being forced out of their home due to the costs involved with this process. However the father is helping others, including myself, gain valuable information about this wonderful treatment, even in such a dire personal situation. he has been forced to raffle his house as the Gov't refuse funding (set up for this exact purpose) and the banks wont consolidate his debt as he is now a single dad. His wife had 9 tumours cured by Cyberknife but as she had received much chemo over the journey, her liver failed causing her sudden death a few years back.
A site set up by a person touched by the story is helping him (hopefully) and other Aussies seeking advice on Cyberknife"
NHS ban on robot cancer knife 'puts lives at risk'
Sophie Goodchild
Health and Social Affairs CorrespondentThursday 6 May 2010 Evening Standard
SCORES of cancer suffers in London are being denied NHS treatment with potentially life saving robot technology, a leading doctor claimed today.
Dr Andrew Gaya of The Harley Street Clinic said three out of four patients referred to him for CyberKnife radiotherapy were being turned down.
He said: "The CyberKnife can obliterate tumour. It's a farce if we give conventional radiotherapy to patients instead. It's vital to treat quickly. Delay puts lives at risk."
Wandsworth and Lambeth primary care trusts are among those which have refused the "20,000 funding for the therapy, which some experts say targets tumours in hard-to-reach areas faster and more effectively than traditional treatments.
A one-off CyberKnife treatment costs £10,000, compared with £3,000 for six weeks of radiotherapy. Some NHS bosses are said to be unconvinced of its effectiveness, although the Royal Marsden is understood to be considering investing in one.
Dr Gaya, who is also an oncologist at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals, said some patients were resorting to paying for treatment themselves.
The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence is to assess the potential benefit of the CyberKnife.
At least 200 patients have been treated with it at The Harley Street Clinic and Bupa's Cromwell Hospital.
NHS Wandsworth's director of strategic planning Graham Mackenzie said: "We have received no requests from NHS patients for the funding of CyberKnife radiotherapy. It is not a treatment we currently commission."
NHS Lambeth public health consultant Dr Jamie Ferguson said: "We are assessing individual requests for CyberKnife treatment."
Doctors barred from using new cancer treatment equipment
NHS bosses argue that Mount Vernon hospital's £3m Cyberknife technology may not work
Denis Campbell, Health Correspondent
The Observer, Sunday 2 May 2010NHS bosses are refusing to let cancer patients be treated with potentially life-saving technology – endorsed by senior doctors – at a hospital which has just spent £3m on it.
The Mount Vernon cancer hospital in London has become the first NHS hospital to buy a CyberKnife machine, which delivers radiotherapy with pinpoint accuracy. It is better at targeting tumours than conventional radiotherapy, less damaging than surgery and can treat some patients whose conditions would otherwise be untreatable, say leading oncologists.
But the east of England strategic health authority's specialised commissioning group (SCG) has banned NHS patients from its region from being treated with CyberKnife at the Mount Vernon because it is not convinced the robotic radiosurgery system works.
As a result, scores of cancer sufferers every year from Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire whose doctors believe they could benefit from CyberKnife treatment will not be able to go there when it becomes operational in September. Only private patients whose insurers agree to pay will have access. The only two CyberKnifes in use in the UK are at private hospitals in Harley Street, London, where patients pay more than £20,000 for a course of treatment.
Dr Peter Dunlop, head of radiotherapy and oncology at James Cook hospital in Middlesbrough, said patients would suffer because of the SCG's stance. "It's sad that Mount Vernon hospital will not be able to offer CyberKnife to NHS patients," he added. "And it's a shame that NHS patients who may benefit from it won't get it… people whose lives could be prolonged will miss out."
The James Cook is among a clutch of NHS hospitals, including the Royal Marsden in London, which are keen to acquire a CyberKnife. Cancer experts believe about 10,000 patients a year could benefit from being treated by it.
Trevor Myers, the SCG's chief operating officer, said its clinical advisory group (CAG) had been given a presentation by some of Mount Vernon's doctors about their Cyberknife machine. However, "the CAG came to the conclusion that there is not enough evidence in regard to both the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the service. Given the limited resources in the NHS, it is vital that we buy services that have been proven to be clinically effective in accordance with national policy."
In January, England's chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, asked the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), which advises the NHS which treatments represent value for money, to assess the potential benefit of the CyberKnife.
Nice pledged to undertake a "fast-track" evaluation of the system and similar technologies. But a Nice spokeswoman admitted that work had not yet begun and would not produce guidance for the NHS until the end of the year at the earliest. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/may/02/cancer-treatment-cyberknife-mount-vernon
Doctors attack NHS ban on £3m robot cancer surgeon
Health bosses say radiation machines are too pricey and their effectiveness not proven
* Denis Campbell, health correspondent
* The Observer, Sunday 24 January 2010Leading doctors accuse the NHS of letting down cancer patients by refusing them access to a £3m robot surgeon which treats tumours in a non-invasive way.
Most patients who ask to undergo radiosurgery treatment by Cyberknife are being turned down by health bosses, who claim the technology has not been proved to work and is too expensive – a course of three sessions at a private clinic costs £22,000. For some patients, the machine offers their only chance of surviving the disease because their tumours are otherwise inoperable.
Cancer specialists and a growing number of MPs are protesting against the rejection of most requests. They point to the fact that there are 180 of the machines in use globally. Philip Powell, a urologist who is also head of cancer at the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said it was "unacceptable" that some patients had had to go abroad for Cyberknife treatment – including a few paid for by the NHS – when they should be able to access it here through the health service.
"The fact that people are travelling to America and Turkey to have treatment is unacceptable, and there needs to be provision made for a Cyberknife service in this country," said Powell. Around 100 patients a year in the North East alone would benefit if the NHS embraced Cyberknife, he estimated.
Cyberknife is a non-surgical alternative way of attacking tumours in those with a wide range of cancers. The robot moves around the patient delivering concentrated beams of radiation with what Dr Andrew Gaya, one of only six doctors in the UK trained to use Cyberknife, calls unprecedented precision. Oncologists say it is far better than conventional radiotherapy because its accuracy means it does not damage normal tissue surrounding the tumours.
West Kent primary care trust (PCT) has had four requests to fund Cyberknife treatment. It has refused two, including Brendan Moriarty, an ex-policeman who lives in Gravesend. "We all die, that's a fact of life, but it would be nice if I could have a bit longer to see my grandchildren grow up," said Moriarty, 67, who has bowel cancer. The PCT has asked another NHS body to advise them about another two requests, but says it is not sure that Cyberknife is safe and effective. MPs of all parties, including ex-Labour cabinet ministers Ruth Kelly and Paul Murphy, want the NHS to rethink its ban. An early day motion in the House of Commons claims that "the continued unavailability of Cyberknife within the NHS makes little economic sense" because treatment within the health service would cost around £10,000 per session. The NHS is also refusing to spend any of its funding on Cyberknife machines, which cost around £3m each. Neither Professor Mike Richards, the government's cancer director, nor Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer, believe there is enough evidence for their use.
The Mount Vernon cancer hospital in north London will soon announce that it will be the first NHS hospital to install a Cyberknife. But oncologists point out that the money to buy it is coming from a bequest, and not from public funding. It is likely to be inundated with requests for treatment from patients across England.
The Department of Health said: "We are committed to providing world-class radiotherapy services and to the consideration of other technological advances, such as stereotactic radiosurgery, which Cyberknife delivers." http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jan/24/robot-cancer-surgeon
CYBERKNIFE RADIOSURGERY NOW REIMBURSED THROUGHOUT FRANCE AND LARGEST ITALIAN REGION
Health Authorities Decisions Facilitate Access to the Benefits of the CyberKnife Radiosurgical Technology for Both Medical Practitioners and Patients
SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 23, 2010 Read More ->
MOUNT VERNON CANCER CENTRE BECOMES FIRST NHS FACILITY TO ACQUIRE A CYBERKNIFE SYSTEM
Government Purchase Enhances Patient Access to Whole Body Radiosurgery
SUNNYVALE, Calif., February 15, 2010 Read More ->
CYBERKNIFE CURRENT NEWS FROM MHL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 13th July 2009
UK cancer patients should look to Europe for Cyberknife treatment
Several newspapers are today reporting new hope for British patients with pancreatic cancer. Last week, doctors at the Harley Street Clinic carried out one of the UK's first Cyberknife radiosurgery procedures. Robert Ferrant, who was treated for pancreatic cancer, says that Cyberknife is his
only hope of a cure; without it, he would probably have only a few months to live. Pancreatic cancer is not always treatable with normal open surgery, while traditional radiotherapy rarely extends life by more than a few years at best.Cyberknife radiosurgery uses pinpoint-precision, image-guided technology to destroy cancerous tumours without damaging the surrounding healthy cells, and can treat parts of the body that other procedures cannot. It is usually painless for the patient and produces minimal or no side-effects compared to traditional radiotherapy.
The press also reported that the NHS is planning to introduce Cyberknife treatment in some of its own hospitals, and also that it has provided funding for the first NHS patient to receive treatment at the Harley Street Clinic. NHS patients have been treated at various Cyberknife centres in Europe over the past three years under the E112 funding system. However, it may be some years before British patients can readily access Cyberknife treatment at home, partly because of the high cost of setting up a Cyberknife centre.
It is important for patients to realise that Cyberknife treatment is widely available outside the UK. Worldwide, there are over 120 hospitals and clinics offering Cyberknife treatment for a wide range of cancers, including brain, spine, liver, lung, pancreas, uveal melanoma (eye cancer) and prostate. Of these, 21 are in Switzerland, France and Germany and other parts of Europe. Moreover, the cost of the treatment can be far lower than the £22,000 quoted in one article today.
Cyberknife is not suitable for everyone and clinics will only offer it to patients after very detailed consultation. That said, any patient considering Cyberknife treatment should think about visiting one of the established European Cyberknife centres.
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CONTACT:
Steven Warren, Technical Director, Medilux Healthcare Ltd TEL: 00 44 203 154 0764 -
MOB: 07707 860 177 - EMAIL: s.warren@mediluxhealth.net
Press page http://www.mediluxprofessional.net/pages/mediluxnews.htmNOTES TO EDITORS:
Please contact Steven Warren for further information on Cyberknife, Cyberknife procedures and patient stories.
Medilux Healthcare Ltd seeks out and promotes world-leading treatment centres and non-invasive medical technologies, including CyberKnife® radiosurgery. Our aim is to raise awareness and provide information to both patients and medical professionals.
We handle direct patient enquiries from around the world and operate a pre-screening service for Cyberknife® treatment. We obtain access for patients to the CyberKnife® Centres we represent and ensure that they receive a prompt response.
Patients Could Be Missing Out On Life-saving Treatments
Some patients are not receiving treatments that could save or prolong their lives because their doctors do not know that those treatments exist.
Cyberknife radiosurgery is a case in point. It is neither new nor experimental: it is licensed by the FDA and has been used successfully over the past ten years in the US, Asia and Europe to treat certain cancers and conditions such as acoustic neuroma, trigeminal neuralgia and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Despite this, many patients in the UK, and sometimes even their cancer specialists, have not heard of it.
The situation is similar in Canada and Australia, where campaigners, convinced that lives are being lost unnecessarily, have put pressure on their governments to introduce Cyberknife treatment in their own countries.
Cyberknife was initially developed to treat cancers of the brain and spine, but can now also be used for tumours of the lung, prostate, pancreas, liver and eye. It is far more precise than standard radiosurgery tools, which means it causes minimal or no damage to healthy cells and can therefore treat cancers in parts of the body that cannot be reached by open surgery. It is non-invasive, so in most cases there is no need for a general anaesthetic and the risk of infection is greatly reduced. It is usually an out-patient procedure so there is minimal interruption to normal life.
Cyberknife treatment is not a miracle cure and is not suitable for everyone. Hospitals first need basic information about the condition and then a recent scan to assess whether the treatment is the best option for the patient. However, for some patients, Cyberknife can offer new hope or a better quality of life.
When a patient is diagnosed with a serious disease, it is natural for their specialists to recommend the best treatment available through their local health service. Often this is the best course of action, but some patients could get more appropriate and effective treatment if they had access to the right information.
For further information about Cyberknife and access to treatment, please visit the Medilux Healthcare Ltd website on www.mediluxhealth.net
<ends>
CONTACT:
Steven Warren, Technical Director, Medilux Healthcare Ltd TEL: 00 44 203 154 0764 - MOB: 07707 860 177 - EMAIL: s.warren@mediluxhealth.net
Press page http://www.mediluxprofessional.net/pages/mediluxnews.htm
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Please contact Steven Warren for further information on Cyberknife, Cyberknife procedures and patient stories.Medilux Healthcare Ltd seeks out and promotes world-leading treatment centres and non-invasive medical technologies, including CyberKnife® radiosurgery. Our aim is to raise awareness and provide information to both patients and medical professionals.
We handle direct patient enquiries from around the world and operate a pre-screening service for Cyberknife® treatment. We obtain access for patients to the CyberKnife® Centres we represent and ensure that they receive a prompt response.
CYBERKNIFE BREAKTHROUGH FOR EYE CANCER PATIENTS
A leading cancer clinic in Munich has announced that it has successfully used Cyberknife treatment to remove uveal melanomas in more than 50 eye cancer patients.
The European Cyberknife Centre in Munich, in partnership with the University Eye Hospital Munich, has treated over 50 uveal melanoma patients using Cyberknife in the last three years. In each case, the operation was carried out under local anaesthetic in a single three-hour session, with the treatment itself lasting on average about one hour. The clinic reported that of the patients followed up, 90% showed no significant short-term side-effects and no sign of the eye cancer recurring.
Cyberknife is not a new treatment: clinics in the US and Europe have been using the system successfully for ten years to remove tumours in other parts of the body. However, this is the first confirmation that Cyberknife can be used safely to treat uveal melanoma.
This is extremely important news for eye cancer sufferers. Uveal melanoma is the most common form of eye cancer and has always been a difficult disease to treat. In fact, until relatively recently, the only solution for middle and large-sized tumours was to remove the patient's eye altogether.
Increasingly, some patients are now being treated with techniques such as brachytherapy, where small radioactive rods are implanted in the tumour. This is effective for small tumours but it is painful, requires several days in hospital and cannot be carried out in a single session.
Cyberknife is a high-precision radiosurgery tool that can target tumours precisely without harming the surrounding healthy cells. It is therefore able to treat cancers in parts of the body that cannot be reached by normal surgery. As it is non-invasive, there is no need for general anaesthesia or for the patient to be immobilised in a frame. Most treatments last no longer than an hour and the patient can usually get up and leave straight away without the need for recovery time.
For further information about Cyberknife and access to treatment, please visit the Medilux Healthcare Ltd website on www.mediluxhealth.net
<ends>
CONTACT:
Steven Warren, Technical Director, Medilux Healthcare Ltd TEL: 00 44 203 154 0764 - MOB: 07707 860 177 - EMAIL: s.warren@mediluxhealth.net
Press page http://www.mediluxprofessional.net/pages/mediluxnews.htm and visit our site www. cyberknifeservice.com/uveal
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Please contact Steven Warren for further information on Cyberknife, Cyberknife procedures and patient stories. We can also arrange interviews with the clinical team at the European Cyberknife Centre.
Medilux Healthcare Ltd seeks out and promotes world-leading treatment centres and non-invasive medical technologies, including CyberKnife® radiosurgery. Our aim is to raise awareness and provide information to both patients and medical professionals.
We handle direct patient enquiries from around the world and operate a pre-screening service for Cyberknife® treatment. We obtain access for patients to the CyberKnife® Centres we represent and ensure that they receive a prompt response.
PATIENT STORIES Click here to read in pdf
CYBERKNIFE IMAGES All are 300dpi or aboveCyberknife System Images
CyberKnife Treatment Planning Images
This in depth video on the CyberKnife® System gives definitive clinical, hospital and patient benefits as compared to conventional radiation therapy and radiosurgery systems.08:59
An overview of Accuray’s latest advances to the CyberKnife System including the MonteCarlo Dose Calculation, RoboCouch® Seated Load, Iris™ Collimator, Xchange™ System and new Optimized Path Traversal capabilities. All new features aid in shorter treatment time, reduced dosage size and more precise delivery.03:24
Includes sample video materials available for free and unrestricted use by all news outlets. The video includes suggested anchor lead in text, a segment explaining the CyberKnife System, patient testimonials and B-roll versions of all video participants.08:07
Includes sample audio materials available for free and unrestricted use by all news outlets. The audio includes a segment explaining the CyberKnife System and patient testimonials.00:58
B-roll video clips from Accuray’s “Tumors Have Nowhere to Hide” campaign. Clips include testimonials from patients, oncologists, urologists and thoracic surgeons.13:20
Video of the first CyberKnife treatment at the Animal Specialty Center in Yonkers, New York. Footage of Charlie, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the first animal treated with CyberKnife radiosurgery.2:00
Animations
The following animation illustrates the challenges of tracking tumors that move with respiration using conventional techniques such as breath holding or gating, and the benefits of using the Synchrony Respiratory Tracking System. 04:01
The CyberKnife System uses both a digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) and live X-ray images from the Xsight Spine Tracking System to continually align and correct spine motion allowing sub-millimeter accuracy without the use of fiducials.02:15
The Xchange™ Robotic Collimator Changer reduces surgery time by automatically switching out collimators of different sizes without interrupting treatment.00:53
A brief look at the Monte Carlo Dose Calculation software and how the algorithm calculates dose amounts in minutes instead of hours.00:25
The following animation illustrates the benefits of the RoboCouch® Patient Positioning System such as the new seated loading capability and automatic high accuracy positioning, both providing reduced patient setup time.
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Medilux Healthcare Limited is a specialised marketing company. We promote devices on the basis of the Manufacturers' representations as to quality and efficacy and where possible we provide additional information as to the conditions which may benefit from their use but we do not guarantee that they will be suitable or effective for all purchasers. We do not examine or diagnose patients or recommend treatments and where we promote medical services this is on an information-only basis. Patients contract directly with these providers and all clinical decisions are made by them alone.