SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Accuray Incorporated , a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, today announced the latest utilization data confirming that 100 percent of CyberKnife(R) centers in the United States are treating extracranial tumors. Of specific importance is that treatments of lung and prostate cancers are on the rise at CyberKnife facilities.
The latest data show that approximately 90 percent of CyberKnife centers in the United States now treat lung tumors with radiosurgery. The number of lung patients treated worldwide rose by a dramatic 30 percent from first to second quarter of fiscal 2007. Similarly, there was a 30 percent increase in the number of prostate patients treated during that same time frame. This demonstrates that an increasing number of centers are using the CyberKnife System to treat these indications and an increasing number of their patients are receiving these treatments.
A survey by independent research firm Dominic & Irvine in March 2007 reported that for 88 percent of all-purpose systems, which combine radiotherapy and radiosurgery capabilities, less than 10 percent of the procedures were extracranial radiosurgery. The all-purpose system utilization is stark in contrast to CyberKnife utilization, which shows that 100 percent of U.S. installed CyberKnife Systems are used for extracranial radiosurgery. This confirms that, although some facilities have secured all-purpose systems, clinicians rarely use extracranial radiosurgery capabilities on any machine other than the CyberKnife System.
While radiosurgery was traditionally used for the treatment of intracranial tumors, the CyberKnife System has extended radiosurgical applications to include the treatment of tumors anywhere in the body. The CyberKnife System offers a non-invasive alternative to surgery by delivering high-dose radiation to tumors with extreme precision in as few as one to five treatments.
“There has been a lot spoken recently about all-purpose units from Varian, Elekta and BrainLAB, and their ability to perform whole-body radiosurgery,” said Eric P. Lindquist, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Accuray. “While these companies may claim they can perform extracranial radiosurgery, we believe the results of independent research, in conjunction with the center utilization numbers announced today and growth in patient treatment volumes, demonstrate that the CyberKnife System is the only technology in routine use for extracranial radiosurgery.”
The clinical standards for radiosurgery are unique. The CyberKnife(R) System is ideally suited for the demands of radiosurgery and provides clinicians with sophisticated features not found in all-purpose systems. For example, the CyberKnife System offers continual image guidance throughout the treatment process and its intelligent robotic capabilities automatically compensate for movement of the patient and tumor. These attributes enable treatment with sub-millimeter accuracy anywhere in the body, something that is unattainable in all-purpose systems. This additional level of accuracy combined with the fine dose sculpting capabilities of the CyberKnife System minimizes damage to surrounding healthy tissue and critical structures.
“We believe that it’s the technical capabilities of the CyberKnife System that provide our users with the clinical confidence to deliver extracranial radiosurgery and enable them to provide better care for their patients,” said Lindquist.
About the CyberKnife(R) Robotic Radiosurgery System
The CyberKnife System represents the next generation of radiosurgery systems, combining continual image-guidance technology with a compact linear accelerator that has the flexibility to move in three dimensions according to the treatment plan. This combination, which is referred to as intelligent robotics, extends the benefits of radiosurgery to the treatment of tumors anywhere in the body. The CyberKnife System autonomously tracks, detects and corrects for tumor and patient movement in real-time during the procedure, enabling delivery of precise, high dose radiation typically with sub-millimeter accuracy.
About Accuray
Accuray Incorporated , based in Sunnyvale, Calif., is a global leader in the field of radiosurgery. Its CyberKnife System is the world’s first and only commercially available intelligent robotic radiosurgery system designed to treat tumors anywhere in the body, typically with sub-millimeter accuracy. To date, it is estimated that the CyberKnife System has treated more than 30,000 patients worldwide. For more information, please visit www.accuray.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
The foregoing may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including uncertainties associated with the medical device industry. Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, clinical studies, regulatory review and approval, and commercialization of products are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements are made and are based on information available at the time those statements are made and/or management’s good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual performance and results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we make include: market acceptance of products; competing products: availability of clinical data regarding the CyberKnife System, the combination of our products with complementary technology; and other risks detailed from time to time under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent form 10-Q filed on May 14, 2007 and may be updated from time to time by our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company’s actual results of operations may differ significantly from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements as a result of these and other factors. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual performance or results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws.
Accuray Incorporated
CONTACT: Susan Lehman of Rockpoint Public Relations, +1-510-832-6006,susan@rockpointpr.com, for Accuray; or Stephanie Tomei, Public RelationsManager of Accuray, +1-408-789-4234, stomei@accuray.com
Web site: http://www.accuray.com/
