First five-year outcomes on CyberKnife radiosurgery for prostate
cancer
31 Jan 2011
Accuray has announced the first published five-year outcomes
on low risk prostate cancer patients treated with the CyberKnife robotic
radiosurgery system.
The multi-center study, published in the January 10, 2011 issue of
Radiation Oncology, found that 93% of patients had no
recurrence of their cancer at a median follow-up of five years, a
rate that compares favourably to results obtained with other
treatment modalities, including surgery and conventional radiation
therapy.
The study, Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Low-Risk
Prostate Cancer: Five-Year Outcomes, combined data from 41
patients treated at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif. and
Naples Community Hospital in Naples, Fla. with a median follow-up of
five years.
The paper represents the longest published study to date on the
use of CyberKnife radiosurgery, also referred to as stereotactic
body radiotherapy (SBRT), as a treatment approach for clinically
localized, low-risk prostate cancer.
In addition to demonstrating high five-year disease-free survival
rates, the study also found generally low levels of urinary and
rectal toxicity following the five-day course of treatment,
concluding that CyberKnife radiosurgery can achieve high rates of
disease control while sparing critical structures, thereby
minimizing undesirable side effects typically associated with
prostate cancer treatments and preserving patients' quality of life.
"As a non-invasive treatment option completed in just five
visits, stereotactic radiotherapy with the CyberKnife System offers
patients the benefits of more rapid recovery, reduced travel costs
and less time off work, allowing them to return to their normal,
daily routines almost immediately as compared with the standard
nine-week course of radiotherapy," said Christopher King, M.D., an
author on the study who is now an Associate Professor of Radiation
Oncology and Urology at the UCLA School of Medicine.
"In addition, because CyberKnife radiosurgery costs less than
conventional radiation and avoids the anaesthesia and hospital stay
associated with surgery, our national health care system benefits
from reduced health care costs."
The past 12 months have seen the publication and presentation of
numerous shorter term CyberKnife prostate radiosurgery experiences
demonstrating encouraging outcomes. This paper supports these
outcomes within a long-term follow-up study. Additional this month,
the Accuray sponsored multi-center homogeneous prostate study for
low and intermediate risk patients, led by the team at the Swedish
Cancer Center in Seattle, accrued the final of 294 patients,
providing a broad foundation for future long-term multi-centre
results.
"The publication of five-year clinical outcomes represents a
significant milestone for CyberKnife radiosurgery and is important
news for physicians to consider when determining the best course of
treatment for prostate cancer patients," said Euan S. Thomson,
Ph.D., president and CEO of Accuray. "We look forward to this study
and other multi-center studies providing additional long-term
quality support of CyberKnife prostate radiosurgery outcomes."