Head and Neck Cancer Month: Gamma Knife vs. CyberKnife for Brain Tumors

April is National Head and Neck Cancer awareness month. While there are many different types of cancers in the head and neck region, one of our center’s many focus areas is the treatment of brain tumors using CyberKnife^® technology. Read below for a treatment comparison of our center’s CyberKnife technology to Gamma Knife^®, another system that delivers stereotactic radiosurgery for brain tumors.

• Treatment areas – While Gamma Knife^® treats cancers only located in the head and neck areas, CyberKnife is able to treat a variety of cancers in many areas of the body.

• Comfort – CyberKnife is completely noninvasive and doesn’t require a fixed metal head frame attached to the skull to stabilize the patient, whereas the accuracy of Gamma Knife^® is achieved by stabilizing the patient’s head using the invasive frame. Patients undergoing CyberKnife treatment lie on a treatment table during their session, as the advanced machine’s robotic arm moves around the patient and adjusts for any movement.

• Sedation – CyberKnife treatment is painless and does not require any anesthesia, allowing patients to resume their normal routines following treatment. Gamma Knife^® treatment uses a metal frame to secure a patient’s head, requiring local anesthesia.

Our center treats a variety of brain tumors with CyberKnife technology, a machine that treats cancerous and benign tumors with high-dose radiation delivered with sub-millimeter accuracy. For more information about our treatment method, contact us.

This is not intended as medical advice to replace the expertise and judgment of your health care team. It is intended to help you and your family make informed decisions, together with your doctor.