With Installation of its Seventh System, HCA Expands CyberKnife Treatments
into the United Kingdom
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Accuray Incorporated
(Nasdaq: ARAY), a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, announced today
that 150 CyberKnife(R) Robotic Radiosurgery Systems now have been installed
worldwide. This milestone was achieved when Hospital Corporation of America
(HCA), a leading healthcare services company, installed a CyberKnife System in
collaboration with consultant clinician partners at The Harley Street Clinic
in London. HCA's addition of this CyberKnife System marks the installation of
its seventh system companywide, including its first outside the United States.
"The combination of the CyberKnife Systems' robotic mobility and
integrated imaging system provides us with a powerful tool for treating tumors
with a precision that wasn't possible before," said Nick Plowman, M.D.,
oncologist and clinical director of The CyberKnife Centre London. "The
CyberKnife System not only improves the accuracy with which we can target
tumors, but provides the patient with a pain-free experience that minimizes
side effects and shortens treatment time."
Availability of the CyberKnife System has grown dramatically, increasing
by 50 percent since May 2007 when the company announced that the 100th
CyberKnife System was installed at Centre Oscar Lambret in Lille, France.
Additionally, patient demand for CyberKnife radiosurgery is on the rise with
the number of patients treated increasing more than 34 percent during fiscal
year 2008. Prostate and lung radiosurgery seem to be driving the demand,
having grown approximately 95 percent and 44 percent respectively during the
last fiscal year.
"The rapid growth in deployments of the CyberKnife System around the world
is a testament to the promise of robotic radiosurgery for the treatment of a
wide variety of tumors," said Euan S. Thomson, Ph.D., president and CEO of
Accuray. "The accuracy and non-invasive nature of CyberKnife radiosurgery
gives patients a more convenient and less intrusive option for the treatment
of tumors anywhere in the body."
Currently, HCA has installed CyberKnife Systems in six facilities,
including CyberKnife Center of North Florida Radiation Oncology in
Gainesville, Fla.; CyberKnife Cancer Center at Memorial Hospital in
Jacksonville, Fla.; St. Lucie Medical CyberKnife Treatment Center in Port St.
Lucie, Fla.; Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford, Fla.; Menorah
Medical Center in Overland Park, Kan.; and Methodist CyberKnife Center in San
Antonio, Texas.
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 150 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
commercialization of products, clinical studies, and regulatory review and
approval 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 by
our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, our Form 12b-25 dated November 7, 2008,
our Form 8-K dated November 20, 2008, 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
12/08/2008
CONTACT: Susan Lehman of Rockpoint Public Relations, +1-510-832-6006,
susan@rockpointpr.com, for Accuray Incorporated; or Stephanie Tomei, Manager,
Public Relations of Accuray Incorporated, +1-408-789-4234, stomei@accuray.com
Web site: http://www.accuray.com
