How CyberKnife Treats Metastatic Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is sometimes difficult to detect early because symptoms of the disease often do not appear until the cancer has progressed. The delay in detection often means patients may be at a more advanced stage when diagnosed, meaning cancer may have spread beyond the liver to other parts of the body. When this occurs, tumors in secondary sites are known as metastatic liver cancer. The most common site for liver metastasis is the lungs.

St. Louis CyberKnife treats patients with metastatic liver cancer with a procedure called stereotactic body radiation therapy using CyberKnife® technology. During the procedure, the robotic radiosurgery system delivers targeted, high dose radiation directly to tumors with extreme precision. Treatment is noninvasive and is completed within five or fewer outpatient sessions.

For those with metastatic liver cancer in the lungs, CyberKnife has particular benefits. The CyberKnife’s virtually unlimited maneuverability and respiratory tracking technology compensates and corrects for normal patient movement such as breathing, allowing for a safe and accurate treatment of lesions in the lungs. This advantage can be particularly important for patients who are seeking an alternative treatment option to surgery with fewer side effects or for those who may be concurrently undergoing other forms of treatment such as chemotherapy.

For more information on how CyberKnife works, click here.

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.