Healthcare robots: 5 ways they are getting even better

Precision cancer therapy

 

Accuray Inc. designed the CyberKnife system to treat cancer. It is the first and only robotic radiosurgery system to offer precise and customizable, non-surgical treatment options for a range of tumors anywhere in the body including the prostate, lung, brain, spine, liver, pancreas and kidney. The CyberKnife system delivers precision stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

In February, the company released promising prospective study data on its CyberKnife system for low and intermediate prostate cancer.  At 5 years, the disease-free survival rate for low-risk prostate cancer patients was 100%, and for intermediate-risk patients was 88.5%. CyberKnife can continually track and correct for movement of the prostate in real time during a treatment session. This feature is an advantage because tumors can move up to 10 mm in 30 seconds.