Clinical study results of prostate cancer patients treated with CyberKnife Radiosurgery released

Oct 1 2009

Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), 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.

Click here to see how prostate cancer is treated with the CyberKnife System.

"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."

SOURCE Accuray Incorporated