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The CyberKnife is a type
radiation emitting machine
used for the treatment of
cancer. It emits radiation in
high doses to millimeter
precision. The Radiation
Cancer Institute is
requesting funds to
purchase two new
CyberKnife machines. We
are presenting with a
clinical study comparing
the survival rate of brain
metastases patients
treated on a conventional
3D linear accelerators
versus those treated on a
Cyber Knife.
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The Trilogy is a linear
accelerator that has the
function of Image
Modulated Radiation
Therapy or IMRT.
Through treatment
planning and then
programing this type of
treatment administers
radiation to the shape of a
tumor.
Little lead jaws conform to
the programed shaped of
the tumor making this
treatment type 3D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSgnWfbEx1A
The CyberKnife is a machine
that performs what is called
stereotactic radiosurgery.
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Radiosurgery is a non-surgical
procedure that uses high
precision radiation beams.
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Not only do hundreds of
pencil size beams deliver a
high dose to the tumor, the
machine takes into account
movement while treating.
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This ongoing imaging and
machine movement to match
the patients movement
throughout the treatment is
what makes it 4D.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktvvy_STXsc&list=PL073A23CE68CF55D7
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Our aim to convince
investors that CyberKnife
is a better machine for
cancer treatment. To
accomplish this we
chose brain mets which
is one of the most lethal
and difficult cancer to
treat. We have
compared patients with
similar primary disease
then treated some on
the Trilogy and others on
the CyberKnife.
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Patients with brain
metastases have a
better prognosis after
treatment on a Cyber
Knife than those on the
Trilogy linear
accelerator.
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After diagnosis 200
patients were
chosen based on
controlled and
treatable disease
African American
between age 30-60
Primary cancer:
prostate and lung
cancer
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Budget: The budget for this study is $
10,020,000. The breakdown is as follows;
5 million for each machine (10 million)
and 20 dollars for transportation for
each patient for every follow-up
(20,000).
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Time table: The study is projected to be
a 6 year study with treatments starting
in the spring of 2014 and the last follow
up in the spring of 2020.
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To determine which
machine has the less
amount of patients who
have secondary
metastases
To observe which machine
result in the less amount of
patients with recurrence
To observe which machine
shrink the tumor
percentage the most
To determine which
machines will cure more
patients
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One hundred patients received conventional
whole brain 3D- conformal radiation therapy.
All of the patients were simulated “head first”
supine and used a customized facemask.
40-50Gy, 180-200Gy a day for about 23-24weeks
of treatment.
The treatment energy used was 10MV on Varian’s
Trilogy machine
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One hundred were treated with a Cyber Knife
Robotic Radiosurgery system.
These patients were also simulated head first
supine patients didn’t need to wear an aquaplast
facemask
These patients were treated using between 30-40
beams with different paths and nodes for
treatment.
The treatment time last about one hour for 5
days.
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After treatment, patients were monitored with
radiological and neurological examination being
done several times throughout the 12-month
period.
5-year follow-up to check for recurrence
Twice a month examinations were done during
months 1, 3 6, and 12
Patients had the option of getting a gas voucher
card or a Metro smart trip card to
accommodated them for travel expenses during
the clinical study
Patients had the option of getting a gas voucher
card or a Metro smart trip card to
accommodated them for travel expenses during
the clinical study
*Note: Linear accelerator: 52 patients
tumor shrined
by at least 10%,Cyber knife: 23 patients
tumor shrined
by at least 50%.
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Although both machines prove to
increase survival time and
optimize neurological function,
the results from the patients treat
with the cyber knife unit
outweighed the patients on the
conventional linear accelerator
These patients also had less skin
reaction to the radiation, because
the treatment days were shorter
compared to the 23-24 weeks of
treatment on a conventional
linear accelerator