The breakthroughs that will change lives in 2009

from Mailonline:

>>CANCER

The major advance is in noninvasive ways of treating certain cancers, particularly inaccessible cancers considered inoperable and sometimes untreatable - even with radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

This year, such patients may benefit from a therapy directly targeting these tumours:

LUNG, SPINE AND OTHER CANCERS

The CyberKnife System is a robot that performs 'radiosurgery' using radiation to destroy tumours in a painless, non-surgical way.

By combining a robotic arm with image guidance from X-ray cameras, the CyberKnife System can treat tumours with pinpoint accuracy and therefore with larger doses of radiation and less damage to surrounding tissue.

The machine can treat, for example, early-stage lung cancer, spinal tumours and even areas which have already undergone irradiation that would not be treated a second time but where the tumour has returned.

Patients with lung cancer who have undergone Cyberknife have a survival rate of around 90 per cent, compared with 30 per cent with conventional treatment.

'Cyberknife has the potential to replace surgery as the first form of treatment for cancer,' says Dr Nick Plowman, director of clinical oncology at St Bartholomew's Hospital.

AVAILABLE: Now, privately from the Harley Street Clinic from January. See www.harleystreetclinic.com or telephone 020 7935 7700. The clinic is currently in talks regarding an NHS/private partnership.