SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Accuray Incorporated (NASDAQ: ARAY) announced today that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has approved reimbursement for the CyberKnife® System for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia (TN). The system provides an important new option for people living with this chronic pain disorder, described by some patients as the most excruciating pain human beings can experience.

TN affects the trigeminal or 5th cranial nerve which carries sensation from the face to the brain, triggering pain in the lower face and jaw, in areas above the eyes or around the nose. One of the most common causes of TN is compression of the nerve by a blood vessel, but there are multiple other causes including a tumor constricting the nerve, surgical injury or stroke. The unpredictable, intense pain patients experience can make living with TN challenging and can lead to weight loss, depression and isolation2.

"Trigeminal neuralgia has the potential to significantly disrupt patients' daily lives if left untreated or inadequately treated. That's why the health insurance reimbursement approval for the CyberKnife System is so important," said Suzanne Winter, president of Accuray. "Our high-precision system provides a unique radiosurgery treatment alternative to surgery supported by long-term data. Importantly, the system's precision makes it possible to deliver radiation typically in just one out-patient procedure without a fixed frame secured to the patient's head to prevent movement, as required with other devices."
People diagnosed with TN require long-term medical care that usually starts with medication to lessen or block the pain signals sent to the brain. Over time, the pain control provided by these drugs diminishes for some patients and others experience unpleasant side effects. For these patients, injections, surgery, or radiosurgery may be necessary.

"Although trigeminal neuralgia is a rare disease with an incidence of about 5 out of 100,000 people, or approximately 5,000 people in Japan, the pain these people experience is significant and more options are needed that can improve their care. CyberKnife radiosurgery offers new hope for people living with this difficult to treat medical condition," said Hiroshi Onishi, M.D., , Chairman of the Health Insurance Committee at the Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology (JASTRO), and Professor and Chairman, Department of Radiology and Vice-director of School Medicine, University of Yamanashi. "Until now, Gamma Knife has been the only device approved to deliver radiosurgery for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. I believe insurance coverage for the CyberKnife System to treat this condition is great news for patients, as there will be more opportunities for treatment and better accessibility to treatment facilities."

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