On Monday, April 25, 2023, President William Ruto commissioned the CyberKnife Centre at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral, and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) in Kiambu County.
The machine, which was produced by Accuray Incorporated, was hailed as a game changer and is the only Cyberknife facility in East Africa. It aims to drastically reduce cancer treatment costs in the country.
Its benefits include;
Precision
It uses robotic precision to deliver high-definition radiation anywhere in the body.
“The CyberKnife System is the only radiation delivery system that features a linear accelerator (linac) directly mounted on a robot to deliver the high-energy x-rays or photons used in radiation therapy.
“Precise and accurate delivery of radiation to the tumour is key to killing cancerous cells while minimizing dose to healthy tissues,” explains Accuray Incorporated.
Despite the word knife in its name, there is no knife involved.
Target tracking
It uses Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) for real-time tracking of the tumour. It can accommodate all forms of patient and tumor motion.
“The CyberKnife System uses advanced technologies to track tumours anywhere in the body, while its unique robotic design keeps the radiation on target even while the tumor moves,” boasts the manufacturer.
Fast treatment
It is painless and has few side effects. Due to the non-invasive nature of the treatment, patients heal faster than when undergoing regular surgery.
Additionally, treatment typically lasts between 30 to 90 minutes. Recovery happens quickly without damage to healthy tissue near the tumour.
Apart from these benefits, treatment is performed on an outpatient basis and there is no hospitalisation or anesthesia. This reduces costs significantly. The patient gets treated and goes home.
However, one drawback of the Cyberknife is the high cost of purchasing the equipment. It costs at least Ksh400 million to buy one excluding shipment costs.
