Singapore, Aug 14, 2008: Accuray, a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, announced that emerging clinical data continues to support CyberKnife radiosurgery for the treatment of lung cancer, following a study published in the July 2008 issue of Clinical Lung Cancer. As scientific evidence mounts, physician usage and patient demand are increasing dramatically -- over the past 12 month period, the number of lung patients treated with the CyberKnife System has grown by nearly 50 percent and more than 6,000 lung cancer patients have been treated to date.

 

The study, titled "Fractionated Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in the Treatment of Primary, Recurrent, and Metastatic Lung Tumors," was conducted at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in Pittsburgh, and followed three patient populations over an average 12 month period: 1) patients with primary stage I non-small cell lung cancer, 2) patients whose cancer recurred after it was surgically removed, and 3) patients with metastatic tumors in the lung. All patients were treated with CyberKnife radiosurgery over a three-day period as outpatients. These patients had limited treatment options because they were medically inoperable (unable to undergo surgery due to pre-existing medical conditions or prior surgery) or refused surgery.

 

The release noted that the tumor control and survival outcomes were excellent in the first year following treatment. Control of tumor growth was achieved in 85 percent of primary cancer patients, 92 percent of recurrent lung cancer patients, and 62 percent of metastatic cancer patients during the first year of follow-up. This is drastically different from response rates for radiation therapy in this patient population, which are typically associated with poor local control and survival rates ranging from 10 to 30 percent at five-year follow-up, as noted within the study.

 

Additionally the study reported few of the complications or side effects that are typical with radiation or other more invasive treatments within the first 12 months of follow-up. Both invasive surgery and conventional radiation therapy can be associated with post-treatment complications that can negatively impact a patient's quality of life. In addition, unlike conventional radiation therapy that is typically delivered over four to six weeks, patients completed CyberKnife treatment in three short outpatient visits. This is extremely significant for patients with a potentially life-threatening disease because it allows them to preserve their lifestyle and spend their time with family instead of taking trips to and from the hospital and spending months in treatment.