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."