Dr. Brian Collins was completing his medical residency at Georgetown University in the early 2000s when the institution invested in a new and groundbreaking technology that would shape the course of his career. The system was called CyberKnife. Developed at Stanford University three decades ago, the CyberKnife System is one of the earliest adoptions of artificial intelligence in medicine, Collins said. It’s a specialized and effective way to treat challenging tumors — like those in the brain. Today, Collins is a radiation oncologist and one of the world’s leading experts in CyberKnife treatments. That drew the attention of researchers at Tampa General Hospital and USF Health, who recruited Collins from D.C. to Florida’s Gulf Coast in 2022. He started the hospital’s CyberKnife program in 2024. Here’s how it works, and what the system means for patients around Tampa Bay.
Why it matters
Brain tumors pose significant surgical challenges due to their proximity to vital arteries and nerves, leading to high risks of paralysis or death. The CyberKnife system addresses this by enabling doctors like Dr. Collins to precisely target and zap tumor remnants with highly focused radiation after initial surgery. This allows surgeons to be more conservative, leaving small, dangerous portions of tumors behind, which CyberKnife then eliminates. A compelling example is Mallory McLean, who had a golf-ball-sized tumor near her brain stem. After surgeons removed 93% of the mass, CyberKnife was used to safely eradicate the remaining 7% that was too close to essential neurological structures, minimizing surgical risks and improving patient outcomes.
How it works
CyberKnife utilizes targeted radiation to treat both cancerous and noncancerous tumors, selectively destroying abnormal cells while protecting healthy tissue, which is crucial for sensitive areas like the brain. The process begins with doctors imaging a patient's brain and inputting the data into a computer to differentiate healthy from unhealthy tissue. Artificial intelligence then maps the brain and devises an intricate plan, identifying optimal angles to deliver radiation beams to the tumor. By hitting the tumor from multiple, precisely calculated directions, the unhealthy tissue receives repeated, high-dose exposure, while surrounding healthy cells are largely spared. This AI-driven precision significantly reduces the risk of human error and injury compared to manual surgical methods. Dr. Collins highlights that the system performs radiation delivery 'better than any human can.' Its accuracy also broadens the range of treatable patients and offers a less invasive alternative to traditional radiation therapy, which historically required rigid skull-mounted frames to immobilize patients. The noninvasive nature of CyberKnife allows treatments to be administered over several sessions, reducing side effects and safeguarding critical structures like the brain stem and facial nerve.
A robotic remedy
Beyond brain tumors, the CyberKnife system's high precision makes it versatile for treating various conditions, including lung and spinal tumors. Recent research is also exploring its potential in addressing neurological disorders like tremors, and even mental health issues such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, Dr. Collins emphasizes that its unparalleled precision makes it most valuable for treating brain tumors. In some cases, for patients with small tumors, CyberKnife treatment can entirely replace the need for traditional surgery, effectively clearing the growth on its own. For others, like Mallory McLean, who underwent surgery to remove most of her brain tumor, CyberKnife served as the crucial final step in her recovery. After five short, non-invasive sessions of 15 to 20 minutes each following her surgery, her tumor was completely eliminated, demonstrating the system's effectiveness in achieving full recovery with minimal invasiveness.
