Oklahoma CyberKnife Center Cuts Treatment Time in Half With Next Generation CyberKnife Technology

Advancements in Treatment Planning and Delivery Enable CyberKnife Centers to Fulfill Increasing Demand for Radiosurgery

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, announced today that Oklahoma CyberKnife LLC, which is operated in partnership with US Radiosurgery, has dramatically reduced treatment planning and delivery times over the last two months with installation of the next generation CyberKnife(R) Robotic Radiosurgery System. Overall treatment times have decreased an average of 50 percent compared to those treatments done at other US Radiosurgery facilities around the country, which have earlier models of the CyberKnife System.

In their first 8 weeks of treatment Oklahoma CyberKnife completed more than 50 total treatments, including patients with cancer of the prostate, lung, brain, spine and kidney. An example of the dramatic decrease in treatment time is the Center's recent prostate cancer treatment, which was completed in less than 40 minutes. Other US Radiosurgery facilities, which include Boulder, Colo., Philadelphia and Salt Lake City, are treating prostate cancer in approximately 75 minutes using the earlier model CyberKnife System.

"The next generation CyberKnife System incorporates a number of new features that enhance treatment planning and result in faster treatment times," said Diane Heaton, M.D., medical director at Oklahoma CyberKnife, which was the first facility in the world to install the upgraded technology. "With these advanced tools, I believe we will progress to the point of doing 10-15 CyberKnife treatments a day."

The next generation CyberKnife System installed at Oklahoma CyberKnife incorporates a number of sophisticated technologies to achieve a considerable reduction in treatment times, including:

-- Sequential Optimization Planning Tool -- enables treatment plans to be developed in as little as 15 minutes.

-- 800 Monitor Unit/Minute Linear Accelerator -- delivers higher doses of radiation to tumors, resulting in treatment times that are up to 30 percent faster than previous systems.

-- Iris(TM) Variable Aperture Collimator -- enables very conformal, multi-collimator treatments to be rapidly delivered to even the most complex targets.

-- Optimized Path Traversal -- supports more efficient robotic motion by allowing the CyberKnife System to skip over nodes where radiation dose is not being delivered.

"Even after just two months, it is clear that the improvements made to the CyberKnife System will enable us to increase the number of patients we expect to treat at our Oklahoma facility," said Greg Spurlock, chief operating officer of US Radiosurgery. "The next generation CyberKnife System is making such a significant, positive impact on our business model and the efficacy of our Oklahoma facility that we are considering upgrading the CyberKnife Systems at some of our busiest centers in order to better meet demand."

The average CyberKnife treatment is completed in 3 outpatient visits. Compared to the 40 outpatient visits commonplace with conventional radiation therapy, the next generation CyberKnife System can significantly ease the burden on both patients and providers by offering a nearly 60 percent reduction in total treatment time.

In addition to Oklahoma CyberKnife, which opened in July 2008, US Radiosurgery is installing another next generation CyberKnife System in a new Reno, Nev., facility that is expected to open within the next month.

About the CyberKnife(R) Robotic Radiosurgery System

The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System is the world's only robotic radiosurgery system designed to treat tumors anywhere in the body non-invasively. Using continual image guidance technology and computer controlled robotic mobility, the CyberKnife System automatically tracks, detects and corrects for tumor and patient movement in real-time throughout the treatment. This enables the CyberKnife System to deliver high-dose radiation with pinpoint precision, which minimizes damage to surrounding healthy tissue and eliminates the need for invasive head or body stabilization frames.

About Accuray

Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), based in Sunnyvale, Calif., is a global leader in the field of radiosurgery dedicated to providing an improved quality of life and a non-surgical treatment option for those diagnosed with cancer. Accuray develops and markets the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System, which extends the benefits of radiosurgery to include extracranial tumors, including those in the spine, lung, prostate, liver and pancreas. To date, the CyberKnife System has been used to treat more than 50,000 patients worldwide and currently more than 140 Systems have been installed in leading hospitals in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit http://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, including statements relating to 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, the combination of our products with complementary technology; and other risks detailed from time to time under the heading "Risk Factors" in our report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2008 as updated from time to time by our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and 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.

SOURCE Accuray Incorporated
09/22/2008
CONTACT: Stephanie Tomei, Manager, Public Relations of Accuray
Incorporated, +1-408-789-4234, stomei@accuray.com; or Susan Lehman of
Rockpoint Public Relations, +1-510-832-6006, susan@rockpointpr.com, for
Accuray Incorporated
Web site: http://www.accuray.com