CyberKnife technology, which is fast gaining prominence, has been used successfully by Apollo Speciality Hospital  on 54 patients with benign and malignant tumours. This was announced at a press conference in Chennai yesterday.

Since the recent clinical inauguration by professor Dr John Adler, the father of  CyberKnife, the hospital has reviewed around 600 cases and over 50 patients have already benefited from the treatment.

Govindan, aged over 80 and having prostate cancer treated, developed tumour in nasal cavity and suffered a blocked nose. Now, after the treatment, he can breathe freely.

Charles with multiple tumours - bleeding in brain, liver and cancer in the spine —  was unconscious but is, at present, recuperating thanks to CyberKnife.

A 17-year-old patient Janardhanan, who used to get fits because of  a brain tumour, showed symptomatic recovery with his left eye restored to some extent as it was almost blurred.

Manivannan, a 37-year-old patient with spinal chord tumour underwent open surgery and was no better with the partial removal, the tumour relapsing. So, he was given CyberKnife treatment and is comfortable with the 1-1/2-month treatment.

Addressing the press in Chennai yesterday, director of Research in Oncology Dr Janos Stumpf DMS, representing the Apollo CyberKnife Clinical Panel, said, ‘Over 50 patients with intracranial, spine, lung and prostate tumours have benefited from CyberKnife treatment and the results were promising.

'Many of the patients had tumours that would have been considered inoperable or even untreatable earlier.
 
'CyberKnife treatment offered them a new ray of hope. In quite a few cases, the treatment was even preferred to avoid the risks associated with conventional surgery.

'Apollo Speciality Cancer Hospital has received patients from across the country and from Bangladesh, Malaysia, Oman, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan.

Dr Sanjay, Dr Vaitheeswaran and Dr Rathna of Apollo introduced the patients and addressed the press.