CyberKnife:A new instrument for stereotactic radiosurgery

Stereotactic radiosurgery is a non-invasive technique that utilizes precisely targeted radiation as an alternative surgical tool. Conventional radiosurgery devices, such as Gamma Knife and X-Knife, rely upon skeletally attached stereotactic frames to immobilize the patient and accurately localize intracranial neoplasm. The CyberKnife (Accuray, Inc., Sunnyvale, California), a new and revolutionary stereotactic radiosurgery instrument, makes it possible to administer radiosurgery without a frame. The superiorities of the CyberKnife, including real-time image-guided irradiation and dynamic synchronous tracking, extend stereotactic radiosurgery for a range of extracranial tumors and some non-neoplastic disorders. This paper reviews CyberKnife technology and its clinical application in intracranial neoplasm and extracranial tumors.