Via Christi Regional Medical Center has the very latest in stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in this area. The 4,000-square-foot CyberKnife® Center, which opened in 2006 next to the Via Christi Cancer Center on the St. Francis Campus, is one of the area's premier cancer programs. CyberKnife offers unsurpassed accuracy and the ability to adjust to the tumor size and location anywhere in the body, offering new hope for patients. What is CyberKnife? CyberKnife is the only SRS system that utilizes robotic technology combined with image-guidance to administer precision radiation treatments to previously inoperable tumors without the need for rigid patient restraints or undue patient discomfort. CyberKnife is unique in that it uses a light weight linear accelerator mounted to a flexible jointed robotic arm to provide up to 1,320 different angles for physicians to reach a variety of tumors both benign and malignant. The patient's movements, including breathing, are synchronized with CyberKnife to allow pinpoint radiation treatment even on moving tumors. The extreme accuracy of the CyberKnife is unsurpassed lending it the ability to deliver high precision radiation to the tumor while avoiding the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor. The addition of the CyberKnife Center located at Via Christi-St. Francis, offers many tumor patients new treatment options that were not possible in the past. Click to hear CyberKnife patients and technical overview. (requires Windows Media Player) How do patients benefit? CyberKnife procedures benefit patients in a number of ways. On the day of the treatment, the patient lies on a table in street clothes and wears a custom-fit mesh face mask or body mold to maintain body position. Image detectors on each side of the patient receive signals from ceiling mounted X-ray sources that allow the system to know the exact location of the tumor and where to move. The robotic arm then moves the linear accelerator, which delivers the radiation. With over 1,320 possible orientations, the radiation beams are capable of targeting the tumor with pinpoint accuracy. After the treatment, the patient can get up and go home the same day with zero recovery time. Traditional radiation therapy can involve 10 to 40 treatments but with CyberKnife that can be reduced to one to five treatments. That means more flexibility for patients and less time away from work. No incision No pain No traditional, rigid head frame No anesthesia Minimal recovery time Rapid return to normal activities Where is the CyberKnife Center located? The Via Christi CyberKnife Center is located on Via Christi Regional Medical Center's St. Francis Campus at 825 N. Emporia, just north of the Via Christi Cancer Center. To park at the center, enter from Topeka Street, north of Murdock. Who is the CyberKnife® team? Jon Anders, MD, Radiation Oncologist John P. Gorecki, MD, Neuro Surgeon Jeff Berry, MS, DABMP, Medical Physicist Lyn Pittman, RN, OCN, Registered Nurse Blake Randle, RT, (R) (T), Radiation Therapist Jena Burrow, RT, (R) (T), BHS, Radiation Therapist How do I contact someone about CyberKnife®? For more information, talk with your doctor or call the Via Christi CyberKnife Center at (316) 261-3200 or (800) 362-0070 ext. 3200. CyberKnife Society CyberKnife Patient Support group