Clinical Evidence Grows in Support of CyberKnife Treatment for Intracranial and Extracranial Tumors

CyberKnife Users' Meeting Highlights Clinical Studies and Emerging Trends in Brain, Lung and Prostate Radiosurgery

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, today announced highlights from the clinical and technical presentations from its 8th Annual CyberKnife Users' Meeting, which was held February 4-7, 2009, in Hollywood, Fla. The record number of presentations featured during the event is a testament to the growing interest in use of the CyberKnife(R) Robotic Radiosurgery System for the non-invasive treatment of tumors anywhere in the body.

This year's CyberKnife Users' Meeting attracted more than 500 attendees, including surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, hospital administrators and other related clinical staff. More than 15 percent of those in attendance traveled from outside of the United States to participate. This year's scientific program grew noticeably from last year's with more than 85 oral presentations and 75 clinical and technical posters. The treatment of extracranial tumors was the focus of 47 of the oral presentations.

At this year's meeting, nine presentations reported on large-scale studies, each with more than 100 patients with brain, lung or prostate tumors. The 2009 Users' Meeting included 11 presentations related to prostate cancer treatment, with follow-up data approaching three years for many patients. In addition to updated outcomes with longer follow-up, researchers are extending CyberKnife applications for prostate cancer beyond early-stage disease. For example, clinicians discussed their use of CyberKnife radiosurgery to "boost" the radiation dose after conventional radiation therapy for patients with advanced disease, as well as for the treatment of recurrent cancer in patients that failed conventional radiation therapy.

The adoption of CyberKnife radiosurgery for the treatment of lung cancer continues to grow, a trend that was supported by 11 clinical lung cancer presentations. Presenters reported on primary and metastatic lung cancer, the treatment of recurrence after radiation therapy and chemotherapy, and quality of life after lung cancer treatment. In one study, patients showed 94 percent local control of lung tumors at a median follow-up of 33 months.

CyberKnife advantages continue to be extended in brain cancer and other brain disorders. Multiple presentations highlighted the CyberKnife System's frameless capability to conveniently treat in multiple sessions -- a particularly beneficial capability when lesions are near sensitive critical structures such as those that control vision and hearing. In one study of 114 acoustic neuroma patients, the authors concluded that the CyberKnife System's abilities made radiosurgical treatment possible for more than 13 percent of patients who could not have been treated with single-session radiosurgery because of risk of hearing loss.

"The presentations and posters at this year's Users' Meeting were representative of the increased interest in CyberKnife radiosurgery, particularly for the treatment of lung and prostate cancer, given its unrivaled ability to accurately track and treat tumors that move," said Eric P. Lindquist, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Accuray. "Despite the challenging economic climate, we were pleased to see that hundreds of clinicians recognized the value of this event to step away from their practices to share their clinical experience and learn from their peers at this meeting."

About the CyberKnife(R) 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 155 systems have been installed in leading hospitals in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.accuray.com.

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SOURCE Accuray Incorporated