Robotic knife offers hope for UNC patients

(10/29/07 -- CHAPEL HILL) (WTVD) -- Doctors at UNC Hospitals are attacking cancerous tumors with the help of a robot. The CyberKnife Robotic Radio Surgery System allows doctors to treat tumors anywhere in the body.

Eyewitness News was there when doctors demonstrated the tool. The doctors were in one room while the patient was in another room. Doctors are attacking the tumor in Butch Matthews' brain with a robot. "I'm awestruck that they can even do what they can do with it," Butch said.

For Butch this is the second day of three days worth of radiation treatments with the CyberKnife Robotic Radio Surgery System. It's one of only three in the state and it's the latest tool to treat tumors potentially anywhere in the body.

Doctor Matt Ewend, Chief of Neurosurgery at UNC Hospitals explains the tool is more comfortable and accurate than previous machines.

"They no longer have to have their head fixed in a halo ring previously when we treated patients just like someone with a broken neck they had to have their head secured with 4 skull pins and now they can just lay on the table with a goalies mask," Ewend explains.

The CyberKnife works by delivering a beam of radiation to the patient to attack the tumor. It is so precise that during the treatment if the patient even moves a half a millimeter it recalculates and makes sure it's precise.

"It tracks the patients in real time," Dr. Ewend said. "So there's an X-ray shot before each mini treatment so if they make any movement the robot just makes a parallel movement to compensate for that."

In Butch's case, the CyberKnife was the best treatment option because his tumor is inoperable. Since 2000 he's had two brain biopsies, radiation, and oral chemotherapy. Butch traveled to UNC Hospitals from South Carolina for treatment.

"I said I have this opportunity and I want this opportunity." Butch adds he prefers CyberKnife over chemotherapy. "Rather than chemo because I want the quality of life."

So far, doctors say the CyberKnife is Butch Matthews' best weapon against his brain tumor.

For more information www.accuray.com
UNC Hospitals

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