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What is Cyberknife®?

Treatment of tumors of the skull base, including pituitary tumors, meningiomas, chordomas, craniopharyngiomas and sinus tumors is complex. A coordinated, multidisciplinary team is essential to achieving the best possible outcome for individual patients. For this reason, UNC Neurosurgery’s skull base team includes members of the UNC Radiation Oncology department. Radiation oncologists partner with surgeons who are certified CyberKnife® users. Together, they decide when minimally-invasive CyberKnife treatment is appropriate for brain tumors. This can help avoid a larger surgery in selected patients.

CyberKnife® is a form of radiosurgery that involves precise, pinpoint targeting of radiation beams to create a treatment plan without the need for surgery. Frequently, the surgery is outpatient and completed within one or a few days. UNC is a leading CyberKnife® center with particular expertise in using this technology to treat complex skull base tumors.

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