Seattle CyberKnife Center

Get back to your life quickly — without lingering pain or limitations on your daily activities and lifestyle.

"I praise the doctors and the CyberKnife System treatment, as I am the longest living survivor to undergo this procedure on a tumor on the spinal cord. It has now been two years since the bloodless procedure took place. My life has quickly returned to normal as a wife, mother and grandmother. Without the CyberKnife System, I would not be here to talk about it."
Carol — Spinal cord tumor patient

The goal of Seattle CyberKnife Center is to extend the lives of the patients we treat without significantly impacting their daily lifestyle. Patients may return to the life they love right after treatment, without lingering pain or activity limitations typically associated with surgery. The treatment process is based on active, ongoing collaboration between each patient, his or her personal physician and the Seattle CyberKnife Center team of experts from Swedish Medical Center. These experts include surgeons, radiation oncologists, radiologists, physicists, radiation therapists and oncology nurses.

The CyberKnife treatment procedure involves six steps.

Patient Consultation
Patient eligibility for CyberKnife treatment is evaluated by the patient's doctor and the Seattle CyberKnife Center treatment team. After treatment eligibility has been determined, the patient will make his or her appointment for the CyberKnife treatment setup.

Treatment Setup
Depending on the treatment plan, small metal or gold markers (called fiducials) may be implanted to accurately target radiation from the CyberKnife. These markers are only three to four millimeters long and are of minimal discomfort to the patient. Other patients may be fitted with a Synchrony tracking vest. Both the vest and the markers are used to track tumor movement during treatment.

CyberKnife Imaging
During the treatment setup appointment, the patient undergoes a CT scan with contrast (iodinated dye), which is then used to precisely plan delivery of radiation to the tumor. In some instances, a MRI scan may also be necessary in order to fully visualize the tumor and adjacent critical anatomy.

Treatment Planning
Once the images have been taken, the patient is free to leave while the treatment plan is being developed. Thanks to the high-speed computing power of CyberKnife's treatment-planning system, physicians and physicists can quickly develop the optimal treatment plan.

Treatment Delivery
After treatment planning is complete, the patient returns for treatment. If required for their particular treatment, the patient is fitted with his or her Synchrony tracking vest. While lying on the treatment table, the CyberKnife robotic arm moves slowly around the patient, accurately tracking the tumor's position in real time while delivering the radiation at the most effective angles. No anesthesia is needed. The entire procedure typically lasts only 30 to 90 minutes, after which the patient is immediately free to resume normal activity.

Patient Follow-up
As with any radiosurgery or radiation-therapy treatment, follow-up imaging tests and physician visits are required to monitor the effects of treatment.