29 January 2026
For many men, a prostate cancer diagnosis raises an immediate question: what are my treatment options and how will they affect my life?
By Professor Shankar Siva, Radiation Oncologist, Icon Cancer Centre and 5D Clinics
Treatment options for prostate cancer, including radiation therapy, surgery and hormone therapy have advanced significantly in recent years.
In the radiation oncology space, evolutions in radiation therapy technology are helping us deliver highly personalised care more precisely, in less time and with fewer side effects. Technology like CyberKnife, a non-invasive robotic radiosurgery system that delivers sub-millimetre accuracy with real-time tumour tracking, is transforming patient treatment experiences and outcomes.
What is CyberKnife?
To understand CyberKnife, it helps to know a little about radiation therapy, which uses targeted radiation to safely treat and manage cancer. Radiation therapy is effective on cancer cells, reducing tumour growth or relieving symptoms.
Conventional radiation therapy is often delivered each weekday over several weeks, allowing enough radiation to target cancer cells while providing healthy cells enough time to recuperate.
Stereotactic radiation therapy is an advanced technique using precise targeting to deliver a high dose of radiation to treat specific tumour types with a reduced number of treatment sessions required.
As a dedicated stereotactic radiation therapy machine, CyberKnife is another step forward in precision cancer care.
CyberKnife is a robotic radiation therapy platform, which is capable of tracking tumours using real time image guidance. It is a highly effective treatment often used for complex and hard-to-reach tumours in areas such as the brain, spine, lung, liver and prostate.
Real-time image guidance means it can track the tumour as it moves naturally inside the body, ensuring the treatment beam always stays exactly on target. For suitable patients, this means treatment can often be completed in just five sessions instead of the several weeks it takes with conventional radiation therapy.
5D Clinics are a leader in delivering CyberKnife technology in Australia, so it has been a professional highlight for me to be involved in the recent joint venture between Icon and 5D Clinics to open Victoria’s first CyberKnife centre in Melbourne - the first on Australia’s east coast and only the third nationwide to offer the technology.
With more CyberKnife centres planned as part of this joint venture, more patients will have access to highly advanced treatments, closer to where they live.
CyberKnife for prostate cancer
Prostate cancer treatment using CyberKnife delivers high doses of stereotactic radiation to the prostate while minimising radiation of the surrounding organs including the bladder and rectum. It is a non-invasive, pain-free treatment option for prostate cancer, which reduces the risk of sexual, urinary and bowel function side effects, helping men maintain a better quality of life during and after treatment.
CyberKnife is most often recommended for men whose prostate cancer is contained within the prostate, however, in some cases, it can also be used for men with more advanced cancer where it has spread to other sites in the body. Historically, treatment for advanced cancer required the use of palliative care techniques including chemotherapy drugs, pain medication and palliative radiation therapy. Each of these methods can result in side-effects.
Because CyberKnife uses stereotactic radiation therapy, it can precisely target the areas where the cancer has spread while sparing healthy tissues and organs, helping to reduce the risk of side-effects.
Looking ahead: Research and innovation
The use of stereotactic radiation technology like CyberKnife is part of a much bigger picture at Icon Cancer Centre. We operate the largest private cancer clinical trials program in Australia and are involved in research projects for several cancers, including prostate cancer. This ensures Australian men are among the first to benefit from emerging treatments and gives us vital knowledge about long-term outcomes. By combining research with world-class care, we are helping shape the future of prostate cancer treatment.
A brighter future for men with prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australian men, but advancements like stereotactic radiation therapy and CyberKnife give new reasons for hope. For many men, it offers an effective alternative with shorter treatment courses, and potential fewer side effects so they can continue to spend quality time with their loved ones.
CyberKnife heralds a promising new era of prostate cancer care, one where men can look forward not just to surviving cancer, but to living well.
To find out more, contact Icon Cancer Centre or call us on 1800 22 00 99.
