The Urology Group Surpasses 1,600 Prostate Cancer Patients Treated with the Accuray CyberKnife® M6™ System

January 17, 2019 at 7:30 AM EST

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men other than skin cancer. Accuray Incorporated (NASDAQ: ARAY) and The Urology Group (TUG) are partnering to recognize TUG's commitment to improving the lives of men with prostate cancer. TUG physicians recently treated the center's 1,600th prostate cancer patient using the CyberKnife® M6™ System, a groundbreaking radiotherapy device that specializes in delivering stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatments with sub-millimeter precision. The system's unique design and advanced treatment planning software help enable physicians to avoid healthy tissue and minimize side effects on urinary, bowel, and sexual function that can reduce a man's quality of life.

CyberKnife® M6 System

One key step men can take to improve their health is to speak with their physician about whether a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, to screen for prostate cancer, is right for them. In addition to PSA screening, there are other actions men can take to maintain their overall good health and possibly reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Though studies are mixed about the role of body weight, physical activity, and diet on prostate cancer risk, the American Cancer Society recommends that men:

  • Eat no less than 2½ cups of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables every day
  • Be physically active
  • Maintain a healthy weight

"For more than 20 years, The Urology Group has been dedicated to delivering quality urologic care in our community," said Gary M. Kirsh, M.D., President of The Urology Group. "We encourage men to learn about medical conditions that particularly impact them, such as prostate cancer. It's critical that men understand their risk factors for developing the disease and what a diagnosis means for them. The good news is that innovations in care, such as the CyberKnife System, have changed the way prostate cancer is managed, enabling physicians to treat the disease with unparalleled preservation of healthy tissue and provide substantial quality of life and lifestyle benefits to patients."

The prostate gland can move unpredictably throughout the course of treatment, making the ability to track, detect and correct for motion critically important. In fact, the prostate has been documented to move as much as 10 mm in as little as 30 seconds due to normal patient bodily functions such as filling of the bladder, gas in the bowel or even slight patient movement during the procedure. The CyberKnife System's ability to automatically stay on target despite patient and tumor motion is what differentiates it from other types of radiation therapy delivery systems. With true motion synchronization, it tracks the tumor continually throughout the treatment session so that it can more accurately deliver radiation to where the tumor is, not where it used to be. CyberKnife SBRT is completed in 4-5 sessions instead of the 30-40 sessions usually required with conventional radiation therapy to safely spare normal tissues adjacent to the prostate, and is noninvasive (no surgery involved).

"A cancer diagnosis can be devastating and the journey to understand the disease and treatment options overwhelming," said Lionel Hadjadjeba, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Experience Officer at Accuray. "We commend Dr. Kirsh and TUG team on their dedication to providing their patients with the support needed to identify the best solution for them and we are honored that the clinical team has selected the CyberKnife technology to treat so many of their prostate cancer patients. Published data continue to reinforce the benefits of CyberKnife SBRT for the treatment of low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer. It is proven to be safe and effective, while offering a convenient, non-invasive approach that precisely targets the prostate cancer with minimal disruption to patients' daily lives."

Important Safety Information 
For Important Safety Information please refer to https://www.accuray.com/safety-statement.

About TUG
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, The Urology Group is one of the largest single specialty groups of urologists in the United States, with 39 physicians on staff.

About Accuray 
Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY) is a radiation oncology company that develops, manufactures and sells precise, innovative treatment solutions that set the standard of care with the aim of helping patients live longer, better lives. The company's leading-edge technologies deliver the full range of radiation therapy and radiosurgery treatments. For more information, please visit www.accuray.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Safe Harbor Statement
Statements made in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements and are subject to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate, but are not limited, to clinical applications, clinical results, and patient experiences and outcomes. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if any of the company's assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to achieve widespread market acceptance of its products, the company's ability to develop new products or enhance existing products to meet customers' needs, the company's ability to maintain or increase its gross margins on product sales and services, the company's ability to meet the covenants under its credit facilities, the company's ability to convert backlog to revenue and such other risks identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in the company's annual report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on August 24, 2018, the company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC on November 6, 2018, and as updated periodically with the company's other filings with the SEC.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements are made and are based on information available to Accuray at the time those statements are made and/or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events. The company assumes 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. Accordingly, investors should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.

Media Contacts:
Beth Kaplan
Public Relations Director, Accuray
+1 (408) 789-4426
bkaplan@accuray.com

Jayme Maniatis
MSLGROUP
+1 (781) 684-6610
accuray@mslgroup.com

Accuray Incorporated (PRNewsFoto/Accuray Incorporated) (PRNewsFoto/Accuray Incorporated)

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SOURCE Accuray Incorporated