Claim: The CyberKnife is an almost miraculous treatment option with a success rate of 99%, that can cure cancer patients in a few hours.
Fact: The claim is misleading. The CyberKnife system is a radiation therapy that is used to treat cancerous tumours at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC). However, the claim that it cures all types of cancers miraculously in one session is not accurate. The treatment works in sessions and is not suitable for all kinds of cancerous tumours.
In December 2022, an Urdu language post went viral on Whatsapp and other social media platforms. The post translated into English reads;
“Jinnah Hospital (JPMC) Karachi Pakistan in few hours provides successful, quick and guaranteed, free of cost treatment for stage one and stage two, cancer.
Karachi Jinnah Hospital has dozens of wards where treatment facilities are provided in various fields. But Jinnah Hospital Karachi also has a ward where free cancer treatment facility is not available anywhere else in the world. This is a magical treatment that completely gets rid of cancer in just a few hours. There is no surgery and no pain. The special thing here is that the patient does not spend a single penny on this extremely expensive treatment of five lakh rupees.
Cyberknife is a robot that by the grace of Allah removes the tumor from the root. The cyber knife emits rays from twelve hundred angles simultaneously, due to which tumor removal is easier and safer than radiosurgery. Its success rate is up to 99%. No one’s recommendation is needed for treatment here, and no painful process of long waiting. According to doctors, the easiest and fastest treatment for stage one and stage two cancer patients is possible with a cyber knife. The robot performs its work in front of the patient’s eyes without anesthesia and within a few hours the patient is cured and leaves the hospital.”
Fact or Fiction?
To investigate the claim, Soch Fact Check spoke with Dr Seemin Jamali, former director at JPMC. According to Dr Jamali, the Cyberknife treats small-size tumours in the initial stages. The treatment is not a single-day process and is completed in different sessions decided by the radio surgeon. She added that the cyberknife treatment is effective as the radiation only eradicates the part it wants to remove while keeping the other organs and tissues safe.
Dr Jamali also said that people think the cyberknife radiates all kinds of tumours, which is not entirely true, as it only treats specific tumors. It cannot radiate big and all kind of tumors. She also said due to publicity messages are exaggerated sometimes.
Soch Fact Check also spoke with the Head of the Radiology department at JPMC, Dr Tariq Mahmood. According to Dr Mahmood, early-stage cancer in solid organs, mainly the brain and prostate, are treated through cyberknife treatment. He further added that the lung, liver, and pancreas are also treated at JMPC. The institution has been successfully treating patients since 2012.
Dr Mahmood also said that it’s true that anybody can walk in and it’s a free facility for all. A team selects patients based on their medical needs; only those who need cyber treatment are processed, while others are sent home. He added that the WhatsApp message is not sponsored or sent by JMPC.
According to Standford Medicine, the CyberKnife system is a non-invasive, robotic radiation therapy delivery system that treats some malignant and noncancerous tumours and other ailments. CyberKnife delivers precise pulses of high-dose radiation that target specific cancers and other aberrant tissues while reducing exposure to healthy cells in the surrounding area.
However, the Cyberknife treatment is the only effective alternative to surgery for small tumours and selected medical conditions. It is not suitable for old-stage cancer and larger tumours.
Virality
Soch Fact Check conducted a CrowdTangle analysis for the 12-month period from December 2021 to December 2022 using the following search terms:
- جناح ہسپتال ( JPMC ) کراچی پاکستان کینسر کا
The search term turned up 1,192 interactions across 52 posts. However, an organic Facebook search showed that the viral text has been shared as far back as 2018. The text can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion: Jinnah Hospital and Medical College (JPMC) Karachi provides cyberknife treatment to treat cancerous tumours. However, the message viral on social media claiming that it can treat all kinds of cancers is exaggerated as it is only suitable for small and specific tumours.