Accurate, Non-Invasive: How Chennai Hospital’s Newest Robotic Technology is Treating Cancer, Tumor

The Apollo Cancer Centre in Chennai is the first hospital in Southeast Asia to provide the most advanced robotic and AI-run radiation therapy system for the treatment of cancers, tumours, and neurological illnesses. This device has sub-millimeter precision, accurate tumor tracking, is non-invasive, and is painless.

After being installed on June 28, the hospital has employed the S7 generation CyberKnife, one of the most advanced radiation treatment technologies, to treat 20 patients in the last month.

The senior radiation oncologist at Apollo Cancer Centre in Chennai, Dr. Shankar Vangipuram, told News18 that the “CyberKnife System is the only radiation delivery system which features a radiation delivery device called a linear accelerator, directly mounted on a robot to deliver the high-energy X-rays or photons used in radiation therapy.”

The system raises the bar for delivery accuracy anywhere in the body by using a robot and real-time image guidance to give dosages from thousands of beam angles.

According to Vangipuram, “Millions of cancer patients have successfully received treatment with the CyberKnife System over the course of more than two decades of clinical proof, demonstrating excellent cancer control with minimal risk of side effects.”

Treatment costs range from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 7 lakh, depending on a variety of factors. Vangipuram, however, noted that it may change based on a case-by-case basis.

According to a statement made last year, Stanford Medicine has been undertaking clinical studies for the use of the technology in brain tumors as cancer cases increase internationally and researchers scramble to discover effective treatment options. Additionally, a combined therapy using CyberKnife radiation and chemotherapy is being evaluated.

“CyberKnife can deliver radiosurgery by tracking and automatically adjusting for patient motion by synchronizing with it, delivering radiation with sub-millimeter accuracy anywhere in the body,” claims Standford Medicine, a medical school in California.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

CyberKnife is produced by Accuray, which has its headquarters in California.

The business produces equipment for radiation delivery procedures and claims that it can handle “the most complex cases while making commonly treatable cases even easier to meet the full spectrum of patient needs.”

In an email to News18, the Apollo Cancer Centre in Chennai described the technique as a non-invasive treatment for a variety of malignancies and ailments where radiation therapy is required. It addresses tumors in the brain, lungs, spine, prostate, and belly, among other parts of the body. For individuals with complicated tumors or inoperable tumors, it may be an alternative to surgery.

According to experts, people who have had radiation therapy in the past or who have cancer that has spread or returned may also benefit from this treatment.

The Apollo Medical Center noted that “CyberKnife treatments are typically performed in 1 to 5 sessions,” adding that the treatments are non-invasive outpatient procedures and don’t require anesthesia or incisions, allowing the majority of patients to carry on with their daily activities throughout the course of treatment.

IS THAT HOW IT WORKS?

According to the technique, “advanced imaging, cutting-edge robotics, and sophisticated software are used to deliver extremely precise, accurate radiation.”

The CyberKnife device delivers dosages with accuracy from thousands of beam angles anywhere on the body. It employs real-time picture guidance and a robot.

As it flows and bends around the patient, the available locations for directing radiation toward the tumor while minimizing harm to nearby healthy tissue are greatly increased.