Study Results Highlight the CyberKnife's Effectiveness for Treating Tumors in the Pancreas and Liver
SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Accuray Incorporated, the global leader in the field of robotic radiosurgery, announced today that the CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System enables physicians to achieve local control of tumors while avoiding delays in initiating aggressive systemic chemotherapy. The results of two studies were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO) 2006 Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium and highlighted the effectiveness of the CyberKnife System in the treatment of tumors in the pancreas and liver.
According to the American Cancer Society, in 2006 it is estimated that there will be more than 33,000 new pancreatic cancer cases and more than 18,000 new liver cancer cases in the Unites States(i). Both diseases have some of the lowest survival rates among cancer patients, with nearly as many patients dying from the disease as being diagnosed each year.
"Because pancreatic cancer is one of the most debilitating cancers, physicians and patients alike are constantly in search of effective treatment options," said Dr. Greg Gagnon, a radiation oncologist at Georgetown University Hospital who conducted the study. "The CyberKnife System is a unique radiosurgery system due to its ability to deliver treatments over a short period of time, typically less than five days. It allows patients to begin systemic chemotherapy sooner -- often a key to successfully controlling this type of aggressive cancer."
Dr. Gagnon presented the results of a study evaluating the clinical efficacy of the CyberKnife System for the treatment of tumors of the pancreas. Dr. Gagnon found that the CyberKnife System demonstrated high conformity and homogeneity, underscoring the system's effectiveness in treating pancreatic cancer. In addition, the use of the Synchrony(TM) Respiratory Tracking System, a system designed to track, detect and correct for tumor and patient movement, resulted in local tumor control for the majority of patients treated with the CyberKnife System.
Also presented were the results of a dose escalation study involving the treatment of tumors in the liver. Conducted by Dr. Karyn Goodman, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at Stanford University Medical Center, the data highlighted the CyberKnife System's safety and effectiveness in treating primary or metastatic tumors in the liver through robotic radiosurgery.
"When treating diseases where time is of the essence, the CyberKnife System helps medical oncologists move patients through the treatment more quickly," said Eric Lindquist, chief marketing officer of Accuray. "Now, patients with some of the most challenging cancers to treat have access to a treatment option that can reduce pain and enhance their quality of life."
About the CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System
The CyberKnife System is the world's first and only radiosurgery system that utilizes intelligent robotics to treat tumors anywhere in the body with sub-millimeter accuracy. The CyberKnife System treats patients in single or staged (typically 2-5) sessions by delivering multiple beams of precisely directed radiation that converge upon the tumor while minimizing injury to surrounding healthy tissue. Image guidance and computer controlled robotics combine to continuously track, detect and correct for tumor and patient movement throughout the treatment. Because of this extreme precision and accuracy, no head or body frame is required. The CyberKnife has proven to attract a new patient population to a physician's practice and complements existing radiation therapy, IMRT or IGRT programs.
About Accuray Inc.
Accuray Inc., a privately held company based in Sunnyvale, Calif., is the global leader in the field of robotic radiosurgery. Its CyberKnife System is the world's first and only intelligent robotic radiosurgery system designed to treat tumors anywhere in the body with sub-millimeter accuracy. More than 100 CyberKnife Systems have been purchased by leading medical centers throughout the world and a large body of peer-reviewed papers supports its clinical practice. To date, the CyberKnife has treated more than 20,000 patients worldwide. For more information, please visit www.accuray.com.
For media inquiries, please contact Ashley Greer at agreer@fischerhealth.com 310-577-7870, ext. 127.
©2006 Accuray Incorporated. All rights reserved. Accuray, the Accuray logo, CyberKnife, Synchrony, Xsight and CyRIS are among trademarks or registered trademarks of Accuray Incorporated.
(i) Cancer Facts & Figures 2006, American Cancer Society
Source: Accuray Incorporated