- Specialized expertise in treating cancerous and noncancerous tumors and other conditions affecting the brain. Go to Conditions Treated
- Advanced treatment options using CyberKnife radiation therapy alone or with the latest surgical techniques for large or complicated tumors. Go to Treatments
- Active research program to expand the use of CyberKnife to treat more types of conditions. Go to Clinical Trials
- Team-based approach to diagnosis and treatment through multispecialty clinics and weekly meetings for treatment planning. Go to Your Care Team
- Comprehensive support services, including condition-specific support groups to help you and your family focus on health and healing. Go to Support Services
- Ease of access at the Bay Area’s only hospital with two active CyberKnife systems, providing shorter wait times and faster treatment. Go to Accessing Care
Conditions Treated
CyberKnife is an advanced system for radiation therapy that focuses high-dose radiation beams to treat target tissues, while minimizing damage to nearby healthy tissues.
Our leadership and expertise with CyberKnife allow us to effectively treat conditions that other centers consider too challenging. We bring together the right specialists from neurosurgery, oncology, radiology, and other fields to design the best treatment plan for you.
From our team approach to our full range of support services, our program focuses on your specific needs and preferences. Our advanced practice providers—certified to provide certain treatments under a doctor’s supervision—work with nurse coordinators and other dedicated staff to organize and manage your care from the start.
We have internationally recognized expertise in treating complex cancerous and noncancerous tumors, cerebrovascular disorders, and nerve conditions that respond to stereotactic radiosurgery. Our doctors conduct extensive research and establish national guidelines for delivering the most advanced treatments as safely as possible.
We partner with the Brain and Spine Tumor Center to treat adults and Stanford Children’s Health Neurosurgery Program to treat children.
- Acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma)
- Adenocarcinoma
- Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma
- Chondrosarcoma
- Chordoma
- Cranial Nerve Schwannoma
- Glioma
- Glioblastoma
- Inflammatory Pseudotumor
- Meningioma
- Metastatic brain tumors
- Neurofibromas of the skull
- Olfactory Neuroblastoma (Esthesioneuroblastoma)
- Orbital Rhabdomyosarcoma
- Osteoma
- Paraganglioma
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Pituitary Tumors and Conditions
Rare tumors
- Gangliocytoma. This is a noncancerous tumor made up of nerve cells of the brain or spinal cord.
- Glomus jugulare tumor. This is tumor within the skull near the temples.
- Hemangioblastomas. These are rare, and slow-growing tumors of the central nervous system that signal an underlying genetic condition such as von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome.
- Medulloblastoma. This is a cancerous tumor that starts low in the back of the brain.
- Neurocytoma. These are typically noncancerous tumors within the fluid-filled spaces of the brain.
Spine tumors are cancerous or noncancerous growths that begin in or around the spinal cord. They can spread in the layer of tissue surrounding the spinal cord or its nerve roots.
We partner with specialty programs and clinics such as the Facial Pain Program, Vascular Malformations Clinic, and Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic. Together, we deliver care for a growing number of conditions that are treatable with CyberKnife. We also work closely with the Stanford Children’s Health neurosurgery program to treat children with arteriovenous malformation (AVM).
CyberKnife is safe and effective for conditions such as:
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Vascular malformations, including arteriovenous malformation (AVM) and dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
CyberKnife provides an additional option for treating tremors in people who have Parkinson’s disease. We work with the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program and Movement Disorders Center to care for people with neurologic conditions including:
- Epilepsy
- Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders
Stanford Medicine doctors pioneered CyberKnife. It is a noninvasive, robotic delivery system for radiation therapy that treats cancerous and noncancerous tumors, as well as tissues that are contributing to neurologic or other debilitating conditions. CyberKnife uses computerized, real-time imaging to deliver the maximum safe dose of radiation from different angles, directly to the target tissue.
INNOVATION HIGHLIGHTS
- Our doctors helped create new standards for treating acoustic neuroma, a type of skull base tumor, that reduced the number of treatments from three to one. Having fewer treatments helps protect and preserve hearing in people undergoing treatment.
- We are leading the way in research to understand how we can use CyberKnife to treat back pain, high blood pressure, and psychological conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression.
Innovation Through Clinical Research
Stanford Health Care Neuroscience actively participates in groundbreaking research and clinical trials to evaluate new and better ways to diagnose, treat, and manage neurological disorders. Participating in a trial may give you access to experimental therapies not widely available at other medical centers. We also partner with the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute to better understand the brain, develop new treatments for brain disorders, and promote brain health.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest, advanced clinical trials.
Open trials refer to studies that are currently recruiting participants or may recruit participants in the near future. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but similar studies may open in the future.
A diagnosis of a neurological condition—and the changes it may bring—can be unsettling. We offer you and your caregivers the personalized support you need at every step. Your team listens to you and develops a plan for your situation. And you'll work with the same team from diagnosis throughout treatment, so we can get to know you and your needs.
Your Doctors
Neurosurgeon
If you have been diagnosed with a brain or spinal cord tumor, you may see a neurosurgeon, a doctor who specializes in minimally invasive and open surgery to treat diseases of the brain and spinal cord. The neurosurgeon may refer you to a neuro-oncologist, a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing and treating brain and spinal cord cancer, if your tumor is malignant (cancerous).
View All {0} NeurosurgeonsRadiation Oncologist
A radiation oncologist is a doctor who specializes in using high-energy X-rays and other types of radiation to treat cancer.
View All {0} Radiation OncologistsAdvanced Practice Provider (APP)
These health care providers work with your doctors to help with diagnosis and treatment. APPs may recommend medications, lifestyle changes, and services such as genetic counseling. An APP can be a nurse practitioner (NP), physician assistant (PA), or clinical nurse specialist (CNS).
View All 5 Advanced Practice ProvidersExtended Care Team
Radiation Therapists
Our radiation therapists deliver radiation according to the plan developed by your radiation oncologist and other team members.
Medical Physicists
Our medical physicists monitor and calibrate our treatment equipment and oversee the quality of the treatments that are delivered.
Nurses and Nurse Coordinators (RN)
- Multidisciplinary care coordinators are registered nurses who provide one-on-one support throughout your care journey. They help you navigate from your first contact with us to follow-up care, assessing your needs, answering your questions, making referrals, coordinating appointments, and providing education.
- Neuro-oncology nurses are registered nurses with specialized training in care for people with brain and spinal cord tumors.
Care Coordinators
Care coordinators provide you with information and assistance before and during your appointments.
- Medical Assistants take you to your exam room after you check in for your appointments. They check your vital signs before your doctor sees you.
- New Patient Coordinators contact you before your first appointment and help you prepare by providing the information you need to know and bring with you.
- Patient Access Representatives greet you at the front desk and register you for your appointments.
- ITA Schedulers schedule your appointments if you have apheresis (a specific type of blood transfusion) or chemotherapy.
- Surgery Schedulers call you to arrange the details for meeting with a surgical oncologist or reconstruction surgeon or for having surgery.
CyberKnife Coordinators
CyberKnife coordinators serve as your single point of contact during treatment. CyberKnife patient coordinators work with you and your doctor to coordinate insurance authorization, determine clinical trials eligibility, and gather information before consultation. They also schedule your follow-up imaging and visit with your surgeon and expedite appointments.
Research Coordinators
If you qualify for a clinical trial, our research coordinators guide you through the process. They educate you about what to expect during the study, answer your questions, and schedule your appointments.
Neuro Care Services
Part of your care involves managing your emotional and spiritual health. We offer you and your loved ones services that can help you stay strong through your treatment and recovery.
Our wide range of support services offer a single point of contact to assess your needs and connect you to the help you need. Contact our Neuro Care Services for your personal support plan.
We make access to care as simple as possible. We anticipate what you need and provide support when you need it. Our network of locations puts our services within your reach. User-friendly digital health tools help you stay connected with your care team. We accept most insurance plans and offer discounted transportation, short-stay options, and international travel and translation services. We help make sense of the details, so you can make decisions that are right for you.
We make it easy and convenient for you to get quality health care.
To request an appointment with a neurosurgeon who offers CyberKnife treatment, call 650-725-0084.
To request an appointment with a radiation oncologist who offers CyberKnife treatment, call 650-498-6000.