What can I expect during my visits?
Pasadena CyberKnife is here to help. We understand the CyberKnife treatment system is new to most people. We want you to have a full understanding of the technology and the process and know that you are in good hands with our excellent staff.
First Steps
CyberKnife treatments involve a team approach in which several specialists participate. Prior to the procedure, you will be imaged using a high-resolution CT scan, to determine the size, shape and location of the tumor. Following scanning, the image data is digitally transferred to the CyberKnife System’s workstation, where the treatment planning begins.
Determining Your Treatment
Our radiation oncologist and medical physicist work together, often with a collaborating surgeon, to create the treatment plan. The plan is used to match the desired radiation dose to the identified tumor location while limiting radiation exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue.
Delivering Your Treatment
Once the treatment plan has been developed, the patient is comfortably positioned on the treatment table. The CyberKnife will slowly move around the patient to deliver the radiation to the tumor.
Time Schedule
Each treatment session will typically last between 20 and 90 minutes, depending on the type of tumor being treated. Treatment are normally delivered in stages (typically no more than five), as determined by the patients doctor. Patients may experience some minimal side effects, but those often go away within the first week or two after treatment.