Prostate Cancer Study Results Published On Patients Treated With Cyberknife Radiosurgery

PR Newswire

October 1, 2009

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Accuray Incorporated, a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, announced today publication of results from a study of early stage prostate cancer patients treated with CyberKnife Radiosurgery. The study demonstrated that erectile function was preserved in 81 percent of patients at a median follow-up of two years. Published rates of erectile function preservation at two years for other commonly used prostate cancer treatments, such as open surgery and conventional radiation therapy, range from 50-70 percent.

This study of 112 patients, led by a team of two radiation oncologists, a urologist and a physicist, achieved 97 percent sustained PSA response at two years, with urinary and rectal side effect profiles comparable to conventional radiation therapy. CyberKnife prostate radiosurgery is a non-invasive, outpatient treatment that is typically completed in a single week, making it more convenient for patients than six to eight weeks of conventional radiation therapy or an invasive surgical treatment that requires patients to have general anesthesia and an overnight hospital stay.

"The CyberKnife's ability to track and correct for movement of the prostate allowed us to focus our radiation dose on the prostate and spare surrounding tissues, like the nerves, resulting in erectile function preservation in a majority of our patients," said David M. Spellberg, M.D. "These data are encouraging for the millions of men diagnosed with prostate cancer looking for a non-invasive therapy that will preserve their quality of life."

"I was looking for a treatment that offered the best chance for a complete cure, but at the same time, it was extremely important to me to avoid the complications - impotence, incontinence and bowel problems - that commonly result from prostate cancer treatment," said study participant and retired Orthopedic Surgeon Scott Silver, M.D. "I am pleased to report three and a half years post-treatment, I remain cancer-free with my quality of life 100 percent intact."

The complete manuscript appears today in the Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment, and can also be found online at http://www.tcrt.org/index.cfm?d=3036&c=4295&p=17748&do=detail

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. Treatments are completed in five or fewer outpatient visits and patients can typically return to normal activities immediately following treatment.

About Accuray

Accuray Incorporated, 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 70,000 patients worldwide and currently 176 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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