Accuray Incorporated , a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, announced that treatments of extracranial tumors using the CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System increased by 38 percent worldwide during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008. Specifically, during this time, prostate treatment grew approximately 95 percent worldwide, while lung, liver and pancreas treatments experienced double-digit growth.
The ability of the CyberKnife System to non-invasively target tumors throughout the body with sub-millimeter accuracy is dramatically altering how the medical community and patients view radiosurgery. Designed originally for intracranial use, radiosurgery has long been an alternative to brain surgery. Building on this well established concept, Accuray extended the benefits of radiosurgery to other types of tumors, when the CyberKnife System was cleared in 2001 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the first – and only – dedicated radiosurgery system to treat tumors anywhere in the body.
“The CyberKnife System allows us to treat a wide variety of cancer patients – from those who want to avoid the risks and long recovery time associated with surgery to those who have no other options,” said Irving D. Kaplan, M.D., assistant professor, Department of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School and radiation oncologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Mass. “Because it delivers high doses of radiation with such accuracy, the CyberKnife System effectively targets tumors while shortening treatment time, minimizing side effects and allowing patients to resume their normal lifestyle almost immediately.”
To date more than 300 peer-reviewed publications support the use of CyberKnife radiosurgery for tumors throughout the body, including the brain, spine, lung, liver, pancreas and prostate. Additionally, many studies are currently underway to further explore the efficacy of the System for various cancers.
Since its inception, the CyberKnife System has treated more than 50,000 patients, with approximately 34 percent of those patients – nearly 17,000 individuals worldwide – receiving treatment during fiscal year 2008. During the past year, extracranial treatments have increased dramatically:
* Prostate cancer – During fiscal year 2008, the number of prostate cancer patients treated grew approximately 95 percent worldwide to more than 2,000 patients. In fact, more than half the patients ever treated for prostate cancer were treated during the last fiscal year.
* Lung cancer – Treatment of lung cancer grew by 44 percent worldwide year-over-year, surpassing more than 6,300 patients treated to date. Now, more than 90 percent of CyberKnife centers around the world are treating lung cancer.
* Liver cancer – The number of liver cancer treatments grew more than 70 percent worldwide during the last fiscal year, with the majority of treatment taking place outside the United States. In the United States alone, the CyberKnife System saw an increase of 52 percent in patients during fiscal year 2008.
* Pancreatic cancer – There was a 15 percent increase in pancreatic cancer treatment worldwide, exceeding more than 1000 patients treated to date. In fact, the United States alone saw an increase of 70 percent growth year over year.
“With a growing library of clinical studies underscoring the benefits of CyberKnife radiosurgery in treating various cancers, it is clear we are establishing a new paradigm for the radiosurgery market,” said Euan S. Thomson, Ph.D., president and CEO of Accuray. “As additional studies examining long-term follow-up are completed and published, we believe these figures will continue to grow significantly.”
About the CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System
The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System is the world’s only robotic radiosurgery system designed to treat tumors anywhere in the body non-invasively. Using continual image guidance technology and computer controlled robotic mobility, the CyberKnife System automatically tracks, detects and corrects for tumor and patient movement in real-time throughout the treatment. This enables the CyberKnife System to deliver high-dose radiation with pinpoint precision, which minimizes damage to surrounding healthy tissue and eliminates the need for invasive head or body stabilization frames.
About Accuray
Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), based in Sunnyvale, Calif., is a global leader in the field of radiosurgery dedicated to providing an improved quality of life and a non-surgical treatment option for those diagnosed with cancer. Accuray develops and markets the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System, which extends the benefits of radiosurgery to include extracranial tumors, including those in the spine, lung, prostate, liver and pancreas. To date, the CyberKnife System has been used to treat more than 50,000 patients worldwide and currently more than 140 systems have been installed in leading hospitals in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.accuray.com.
