The Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) has marked a medical milestone after its first CyberKnife treatment.
The CyberKnife system was installed at KUTRRH, making Kenya the second country in Africa after Egypt to acquire the machine.
President William Ruto commissioned the CyberKnife at the facility in May this year, aimed at providing better health services for non-communicable diseases in the country.
Speaking on Wednesday, September 27 after witnessing the first treatment, KUTRRH Chairperson Prof Olive Mugenda said the journey to commissioning the machine is a major milestone for the hospital and Kenya.
Further, she noted that the machine will now reduce the cases of patients traveling out of the country for medical attention.
The KUTRRH Board in a statement highlighted how they prepared patients selected for the treatment.
“The patients have been carefully selected to ensure that they meet the set criteria by the experts. They have been well briefed about the treatment and what to expect and are psychologically ready for this unique precision treatment,” read part of the statement.
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Additionally, it is part of the Level Six facility’s vision in providing end-to-end diagnosis and treatment options for cancer patients
The CyberKnife is the first fully robotic radiotherapy device for cancer treatment.
What is Cyberknife
CyberKnife treatment is a painless and non-invasive care for cancerous and non-cancerous tumors. It uses advanced technology to deliver high dose radiation to specific targets in the body, often used in the treatment of tumors.
KUTRRH explained that the precise targeting of radiation with CyberKnife helps minimize damage to surrounding healthy tissues.
Moreover, this reduction in collateral damage leads to fewer side effects, enhancing the patient’s overall quality of life during and after treatment.
The technology used is known for its accuracy and ability to spare surrounding healthy tissue.
Conditions Treated with CyberKnife
CyberKnife treatment is recommended for various conditions including both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors.
While CyberKnife is commonly used for the treatment of cancerous tumors, it is also used when treating non-cancerous conditions and certain functional disorders.
The machine can be used to treat prostate cancer, lung cancer, brain tumors, spine tumors, and liver cancer, among others.
Additionally, it treats non-cancerous conditions like Trigeminal Neuralgia and specific non-cancerous pancreatic lesions.
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Certain functional disorders can also be treated like epilepsy by targeting specific brain areas responsible for seizures.
One of the importance of Cyberknife is that it can track the movement of tumors in real-time, adjusting the radiation beams accordingly.
The Cost of CyberKnife
Accessing CyberKnife treatment has been costly for many patients from Kenya and the region given the machine was not available in Africa except in Egypt.
The cost of CyberKnife is set at Ksh300,000 to Ksh350,000, however the government with KUTRRH has made it easier to access the treatment by including National health insurer NHIF.
“NHIF will cover the cost of treatment hence a great benefit to many Kenyans we are also engaging other insurance companies to meet the cost of treatment, which is between Ksh300,000 to Ksh350,000,” said Prof Mugenda.
The CyberKnife treatment is delivered in 3 to 6 outpatient sessions compared to traditional radiation therapy, which requires 20 to 30 sessions to complete treatment.
