See for yourself.
Radiology as the foundation for high-precision radiosurgery.
Whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), ultrasound or conventional X-ray – each method uses different physical principles to provide insights into the human body. While MRI uses magnetic fields, CT works with X-rays. In radiosurgery, both types of imaging are combined to locate and treat tumours with millimetre precision.
Precision through combination.
CyberKnife® technology, as a highly precise treatment method against tumours, primarily requires the most meticulous imaging and high-resolution CT and MRI scans. Perfect images are used by radiosurgeon Dr Alfred Haidenberger like a map of the condition, enabling the tumour boundary to be defined precisely and surrounding structures to be spared as much as possible.
Radiology is therefore like the engine behind the planning phase.
The robot-assisted system reconstructs spatial models from all imaging data. This enables medical physics and radiosurgery to bundle radiation fields in the sub-millimetre range and guarantee verification in real time. Uncontrollable patient movements, such as breathing, therefore do not impair targeting accuracy. Modern radiology makes this accuracy visible. Even the smallest or hard-to-reach lesions are treated safely.
In good radiology institutes, image-based planning is adapted and individualised to the anatomical circumstances of each patient. CyberKnife® Salzburg is grateful to bring interdisciplinary collaboration with radiologists such as the team at the Doringer Institute www.doringer.at in a shared field of communication and decision-making.
Up-to-date scans for safe treatment
How up to date the scans need to be depends on the type of condition: for benign tumours, images that are several months old are often sufficient; malignant changes always require current scans – especially in the brain and spinal cord, where findings can change quickly.
For doctors and patients, radiology is therefore not just a technical tool; rather, it shapes therapy from the ground up and serves our team as a pathfinder for precise treatment.
Article by Petra Ruso, 28 October 2025
