Robert's CyberKnife® treatment

While on holiday in the US, Robert started getting a pain in his abdomen, which kept him up at night. He originally thought it was something he'd eaten. But as time went on and he started losing his appetite – and a significant amount of weight – he knew something wasn’t right. Although initial health checks came back clear, a CT scan a few months later revealed pancreatic cancer. Because the tumour was large and wrapped around a major artery, it was considered inoperable. Robert was given just a few months to live. Over Christmas, his friends mentioned hearing about a new treatment called CyberKnife®, designed to treat inoperable cancer. After some initial research, Robert’s local oncologist referred him to Dr Andrew Gaya, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Harley Street Clinic. Dr Gaya thought Robert would be an excellent candidate for treatment. The Harley Street Clinic was the first hospital in the UK to offer CyberKnife®, and Robert was one of the first Britons to benefit from its remarkable, non-invasive technique. CyberKnife® uses a robotic arm attached to a miniaturised radiotherapy machine that delivers high doses of radiation with incredible precision. Hundreds of pencil-thin beams of radiation can be delivered from thousands of angles, all targeting the tumour. Because the treatment is painless and can be completed in just a few hours, Robert was able to get back to his daily routine. And he could carry on enjoying time with his family. Following treatment, Robert booked a Caribbean cruise to celebrate feeling well one year on from his original diagnosis.