SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, has announced that its Xsight(tm) Lung Tracking System, a system designed for the non-invasive treatment of lung tumors, is quickly gaining clinical acceptance with more than 97 percent of new U.S. customers including Xsight Lung in their purchase of a new CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System. Further extending the CyberKnife System's suite of products targeted toward the treatment of lung tumors is Accuray's Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm, which is pending FDA 510(k) clearance.

"We have seen great success using Xsight Lung Tracking System to treat lung cancer non-invasively because of its ability to lock onto and deliver radiation to the tumor while minimizing damage to healthy tissue," said James Schwade, M.D., executive director of the CyberKnife Centers of Miami and Palm Beach. "The CyberKnife System with Xsight Lung Tracking allows us to break down the barriers to lung cancer treatment. We are now able to give new hope to patients - such as the elderly and those considered medically or surgically inoperable - who previously would have had no other option."

Working seamlessly with Accuray's CyberKnife System and Synchrony® Respiratory Tracking System, Xsight Lung Tracking is the only system that uses the body's soft tissue to directly track targets with radiosurgical accuracy. It delivers highly specialized soft tissue tracking by using the actual image intensity of the lung tumor to target the beam, therefore eliminating the need in some cases for implanted fiducial markers.

An additional tool in the treatment of lung cancer is Accuray's Monte Carlo dose calculation methodology, which is currently pending FDA 510(k) clearance. Accuray's Monte Carlo dose calculation is designed to be fast and accurate, enabling clinicians to more precisely determine, in a matter of minutes, the intensity of radiation to be delivered in areas where tissue densities vary. This is particularly critical with lung cancer, since healthy tissue surrounding tumors is made up of air cavities, which are less dense than the solid tumors.

"The addition of Monte Carlo dose calculation to Accuray's product portfolio will bring the gold standard of dose calculation to the CyberKnife System," said Charlie Ma, Ph.D., director of radiation physics at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. "Incorporating Monte Carlo dose calculation capabilities into the CyberKnife System will enable clinicians to quickly and precisely plan treatment and accurately determine the resulting radiation delivered to tumors."

"The combination of Monte Carlo dose calculation, Xsight Lung Tracking and Synchrony Respiratory Tracking will take the CyberKnife System's ability to treat lung tumors to a new, far superior level," said Eric P. Lindquist., senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Accuray. "We are extremely excited about the high level of clinical acceptance for the CyberKnife System and Xsight Lung, with purchases coming in from cancer clinics around the world. These technologies are making it possible to effectively treat lung tumors in a wider array of patients. When FDA 510(k) clearance is obtained for the Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm, clinicians will have all the best tools available to them in a single system."

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