The Islands Healthcare Complex – Macao Medical Centre of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) said in a statement yesterday that it has recently performed Macau’s first brain tumour treatment using the “CyberKnife”* (a stereotactic radiosurgery system using X-rays) device.
This marks the alignment of Macau’s radiosurgery capabilities with internationally advanced technology, the statement said.
According to the statement, the CyberKnife system used in this procedure is the latest international model. It combines a high-precision robotic arm with a linear accelerator to perform stereotactic radiation therapy with sub-millimetre accuracy, the statement said.
It is not surgery in the traditional sense, as it is non-invasive so there are no incisions and no physical removal.
The key element of the system is the ability to deliver focused radiation from multiple angles to the tumour lesion, according to the statement, adding that it achieves a high therapeutic dose while ensuring a rapid dose drop-off to surrounding healthy tissue, akin to the precision of a “scalpel.”
The statement also said that the system is equipped with real-time tracking technology, capable of predicting and following the tumour’s movement trajectory during radiation. This significantly reduces damage to healthy tissue and minimises treatment side effects, the statement said.
According to the statement, PUMCH has now Macau’s largest and most technologically advanced radiation therapy centre for tumour treatment. The hospital is equipped with multiple cutting-edge systems, including a helical (spiral-shaped) tomography radiotherapy system (TomoTherapy), a stereotactic radiotherapy platform (TrueBeam), and an AI-powered online adaptive radiotherapy platform (Ethos), the statement said, adding that these three systems enable the centre to provide precise and individualised treatment plans for patients with various types of cancer.
With Macau’s technical capabilities in the field of cancer radiotherapy further advancing, the statement indicated that PUMCH will continue to accumulate and deepen its clinical experience in precision medicine. It is committed to improving the effectiveness of tumour treatments, bringing hope to more patients, and contributing to the goal of allowing Macau residents to receive major types of treatment locally, without having to leave Macau, the statement said.
* The CyberKnife system is a radiation therapy device manufactured by Accuray, a radiation therapy company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, that develops, manufactures, and sells radiation therapy systems to deliver treatments including stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Stereotactic refers to a minimally invasive surgical technique that uses a three-dimensional coordinate system to locate and precisely target small, specific areas inside the body, especially the brain. DeepSeek
This undated handout photo provided by the Islands Healthcare Complex – Macao Medical Centre of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) yesterday shows a patient undergoing “CyberKnife” brain tumour treatment at PUMCH in Cotai.
