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Stereotactic radiosurgery · London

CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery, private in London.

Frameless, robotic radiosurgery for prostate, lung, liver, pancreas, spine and brain. 1 to 5 outpatient sessions, real-time tumour tracking, delivered by named consultant clinical oncologists in London's licensed CyberKnife centres.

A stethoscope on a clinical desk

What CyberKnife is

A robotic linear accelerator that tracks the tumour, live.

Accuray's CyberKnife platform is a compact 6 MV linear accelerator mounted on a 6-axis industrial robotic arm. It delivers hundreds of non-coplanar photon beams from many angles around you, converging on the tumour to a sub-millimetre accuracy. Real-time X-ray imaging corrects your position every few seconds, and the Synchrony system tracks respiratory motion so the beam follows lung, liver and pancreas targets as you breathe. That combination means radiosurgery of both intracranial and body sites in a thermoplastic mask or vacuum bag, with no invasive head frame and no admission.

Indicative pricing

What private CyberKnife costs in London.

Indicative ranges across UK centres.

In short

A typical 3 to 5-fraction CyberKnife course: £12,000-£22,000, all outpatient, over 1-2 weeks.

Procedure Indicative range
Consultation and treatment planning £450-£850
Single-fraction brain SRS (mets, small AVM) £8,500-£14,000
CyberKnife SBRT, typical 3-5 fraction course £12,000-£22,000
Prostate SBRT (5 fractions, with fiducials) £14,000-£20,000
Complex multi-site oligometastatic course £22,000-£38,000
Second-opinion review of imaging and MDT plan £300-£500

Prices vary by centre, by whether fiducial placement is included, by the number of fractions and by planning complexity. Insurance cover for on-label indications is usual.

Indications

What CyberKnife treats, at a glance.

The sites and disease patterns we see most often on the CyberKnife platform in London and the UK.

  • Prostate cancer, 5-fraction SBRT

    Low and intermediate-risk localised prostate cancer, delivered in 5 outpatient sessions over 1 to 2 weeks. Fiducials placed a week before.

  • Lung SBRT, peripheral or central

    Early-stage NSCLC or oligometastatic lung deposits. Synchrony motion tracking follows the tumour as you breathe, sparing normal lung.

  • Liver metastases and primary HCC

    Selected 1 to 3 liver lesions under 6 cm, where surgery or thermal ablation is not suitable. Respiratory tracking keeps dose off the bowel.

  • Pancreatic, locally advanced

    Locally advanced pancreatic cancer, usually after induction chemotherapy. Fiducial-guided, 5-fraction dose escalation.

  • Spine metastases

    Painful or oligometastatic vertebral deposits. Sub-mm tracking spares the cord and delivers ablative dose to the vertebral body.

  • Small renal tumours

    Selected T1a renal cell carcinomas in patients unfit for surgery or ablation. 3 to 5 fractions with respiratory tracking.

  • Brain metastases, meningioma, schwannoma

    Single or multiple brain metastases, benign meningiomas, and vestibular schwannomas, frameless, in a thermoplastic mask.

  • Oligometastases, up to 5 sites

    Up to 5 metastatic deposits across the body, treated ablatively to delay systemic progression and defer next-line therapy.

Delivery

How a CyberKnife session is actually delivered.

A typical session takes 30 to 60 minutes. You lie still on the couch in a thermoplastic mask or vacuum bag, no sedation, no admission. The robot delivers 1 to 5 outpatient fractions spaced 1 to 3 days apart, with tracking chosen for the anatomy.

  • Frameless mask-based intracranial SRS

    A custom thermoplastic mask holds your head still. Sub-mm tracking of the skull, no invasive head frame, no pin sites, home within the hour.

  • Prostate SBRT with fiducials

    3 gold fiducial markers placed transrectally under local anaesthetic a week before. Real-time X-ray tracking of the prostate through the 5 fractions.

  • Synchrony respiratory tracking

    Light-emitting markers on the chest are correlated to internal fiducial or tumour position, so the beam follows lung, liver or pancreas targets as you breathe.

  • Xsight Spine tracking

    Bony vertebral anatomy is tracked directly, no fiducials needed. Sub-mm accuracy for spine metastases and re-irradiation cases.

  • Xsight Lung tracking

    Tumour position tracked without implanted fiducials for suitable lung lesions, avoiding a percutaneous marker procedure.

  • Fractionation, 1 to 5 sessions

    Brain SRS is often a single fraction. Body SBRT is usually 3 to 5. Sessions are spaced 1 to 3 days apart, all outpatient, no admission.

  • Re-irradiation planning

    For tumours in a previously irradiated field, the non-coplanar beam geometry and tight dose fall-off allow safe retreatment where standard radiotherapy cannot.

  • Second-opinion review

    A specialist review of your imaging, MDT letter and prior treatment. Sometimes the answer is Gamma Knife, MR-Linac or systemic therapy, not CyberKnife.

Outcomes and comparison

How CyberKnife performs, and where Gamma Knife, MR-Linac or proton fit better.

A short read of the published outcomes by site, and a plain comparison against the other precision platforms available privately in the UK.

  • Prostate SBRT, 5 fractions

    Biochemical PSA control equivalent to surgery and brachytherapy at 5 to 7 years in low and intermediate-risk disease, on level 1 randomised evidence.

  • Peripheral lung SBRT

    Around 90% local control at 3 years for T1 and small T2 peripheral NSCLC, with pneumonitis rates under 10%.

  • Spine metastases

    85 to 95% local control at 1 to 2 years for oligometastatic vertebral deposits, with durable pain relief in most patients.

  • Vs Gamma Knife

    Gamma Knife is intracranial only, with unmatched sub-0.5 mm precision for small brain targets. CyberKnife covers both cranial and body sites, sub-mm, with real-time tracking.

  • Vs MR-Linac

    MR-Linac uses live MRI to see soft tissue during treatment and adapt the plan each day, an advantage for pancreas and pelvic disease near mobile bowel.

  • Vs proton beam therapy

    Proton beam has a dose deposition advantage for skull base tumours, paediatric cases and re-irradiation near cord, where sparing the exit dose really matters.

Side effects by site

What to expect afterwards, honestly, per site.

CyberKnife is very well tolerated. Side effects are focal to the treated area, mild for most patients, and settle over weeks.

  • No frame, no hair loss for brain SRS

    CyberKnife is frameless. A thermoplastic mask is fitted for planning and each fraction. No pin sites, no shaving, no admission.

  • Prostate SBRT, mild urinary and rectal

    Transient urinary frequency and urgency in the first month, mild rectal irritation in around 10%. Late grade 2 side effects under 10% at 5 years.

  • Lung SBRT, pneumonitis is uncommon

    Symptomatic radiation pneumonitis in under 10% of peripheral SBRT. Rib pain or non-displaced fracture in 2 to 5% of chest-wall proximal tumours.

  • Liver SBRT, fatigue and transient LFTs

    Fatigue and a transient rise in liver enzymes for 4 to 8 weeks. Clinically significant radiation-induced liver disease is uncommon in well-selected patients.

  • Spine SBRT, temporary pain flare

    A pain flare in the first 2 weeks in 20 to 30% of cases, controlled with a short steroid course. Vertebral compression fracture in around 10 to 15%.

  • Brain SRS, headache and rare oedema

    Mild headache and fatigue for a few days. Symptomatic radionecrosis in 5 to 10% of brain metastases, usually managed medically.

  • Fiducial placement is a small procedure

    Prostate, liver and pancreas fiducials are placed under local or short sedation. Transient discomfort and a very small bleeding or infection risk.

  • Fertility and contraception advice

    Pelvic radiotherapy affects fertility. We discuss sperm banking, oocyte preservation and contraception before planning begins.

  • Follow-up imaging matters

    Response is often slow, and post-radiation change can look like progression. Serial imaging with a dedicated radiologist review avoids over-calling recurrence.

Recognised by major UK insurers

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Cover for CyberKnife varies by insurer and indication, and is usually funded when medically indicated and MDT-supported.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about CyberKnife.

Quick answers on frames, hair loss, outpatient delivery, insurance, retreatment and size limits.

  • Do I need a head frame for CyberKnife brain radiosurgery?

    No. CyberKnife is frameless. A custom thermoplastic mask is made at planning and worn for each fraction. There are no pin sites, no shaving of hair, no admission. This is one of the main practical differences from Gamma Knife, which traditionally uses a stereotactic head frame fixed to the skull for single-fraction treatment.

  • Will I lose my hair?

    Focal radiosurgery to a single brain target usually causes no hair loss because the beam entry is spread across hundreds of angles. Larger targets, treatments closer to the scalp, or multiple targets in one area can cause a small patch of temporary thinning where the beams enter, which regrows in 2 to 3 months.

  • Is CyberKnife an outpatient treatment?

    Yes. Each session takes 30 to 60 minutes, you lie still on the couch with no sedation, and you go home within the hour. A course is 1 to 5 sessions spaced 1 to 3 days apart, all outpatient. You can drive yourself home.

  • Do private medical insurers cover CyberKnife in the UK?

    Bupa, AXA Health, Vitality, Aviva, WPA, Cigna and Healix all fund CyberKnife when the indication is on-label and MDT-supported, most commonly for prostate SBRT, oligometastases, spine and brain metastases. Cover for pancreatic SBRT and re-irradiation is case-by-case.

  • Can CyberKnife be repeated in the same area?

    Yes, in selected cases. The tight dose fall-off and non-coplanar beam geometry allow safe re-irradiation to a previously treated volume, provided cumulative organ-at-risk doses are within tolerance. This is one of the strengths of the platform for spine and brain recurrences, and it needs a specialist re-treatment planning review.

  • Is there a tumour size limit?

    Yes. For brain SRS, single-fraction targets are usually under 3 cm, larger ones are treated in 3 to 5 fractions. For body SBRT, lung and liver targets under 5 to 6 cm are ideal. Larger tumours can still be treated but with reduced dose per fraction, and beyond around 8 cm the risk-benefit usually favours conventional radiotherapy or surgery.

Related treatments

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