Growing Clinical Evidence the Focus of Accuray's TomoTherapy Asia User Education Symposium

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), the premier radiation oncology company, showcased new clinical research on its TomoTherapy® Radiation Therapy System at the 2011 Asia User Education Symposium, held September 2-4, 2011, in Singapore. The conference brought together close to 100 TomoTherapy System users from 34 hospitals across Asia for three days of education and insights on the growing body of evidence supporting the use of the TomoTherapy System for a wide range of clinical indications.

"On behalf of my colleagues from Japan, I was honored to chair this year's Asia User Education Symposium and facilitate the sharing of a broad range of clinical treatment experience on TomoTherapy technology," said Meeting Chairman Professor Yuta Shibamoto, Department of Radiology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Japan. "I enjoyed interacting with attendees from countries throughout the region and look forward to coming together again next year to share our experiences for the benefit of our patients."

Highlights of the symposium included an opening presentation by Professor Shibamoto on the role of radiation therapy and TomoTherapy in Japan. Professor Shibamoto's presentation was followed by a keynote by American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Fellow Professor Jeffrey Wong of the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, California. Professor Wong shared clinical outcomes from myeloma and acute leukemia patients who underwent total marrow irradiation (TMI) with the TomoTherapy System along with chemotherapy in preparation for blood stem cell transplant. By targeting bone marrow, doses to normal organs could be reduced relative to standard total body irradiation (TBI). Their Phase I study in patients with multiple myeloma demonstrated decreased rates of toxicity such as mucositis and pneumonitis compared to published TBI outcomes, and the ability to increase radiation doses beyond what is typically delivered with TBI. At a median follow-up of 35 months overall survival was 84%.

The User Education Symposium featured clinical presentations from some of the leading minds in radiation therapy in Asia. Presentations highlighted significant new clinical data on use of the TomoTherapy System to treat a wide range of indications—including nasal lymphomas, head and neck, lung, liver and breast tumors, complex brain metastases and difficult-to-manage hepatocellular, pancreas and biliary tumors—as well as interactive educational workshops.

Also included was research from Dr. Kwan-Hwa Chi from the Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital in Taiwan, who presented experience treating 25 patients with advanced lung cancer with the TomoTherapy System and systemic chemotherapy. The TomoTherapy System was used to deliver "multi-target" treatments, including both lung lesions and metastases, in single treatment sessions. The study demonstrated a three-year overall survival of 62.5%. Multiple other treatment centers from across the region also highlighted clinical experiences with TomoTherapy technology, including Aichi Cancer Centre in Japan, Severance Hospital/Yonsei University Health System in Korea, Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong, Towada City Hospital in Japan and Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in Australia.

Attendees also participated in an interactive treatment planning forum. This involved the collaborative review, discussion and development of optimal treatment plans for 14 challenging clinical situations submitted from across the region. The forum has been a critical part of all TomoTherapy global user meetings for the last four years and is consistently rated as one of the most valuable sessions in each user meeting.

"The participation of attendees from multiple countries in Asia, including several attending the Symposium for the first time, underscores the increasing excitement around Accuray's TomoTherapy System and further supports increased adoption throughout the region," said Bob Wong, general manager of Accuray APAC. "The broad scope of the clinical data presented at the meeting served to highlight the exceptional ways that customers are utilizing the technology to treat a growing number of disease states, improve quality of life and deliver unparalleled care to patients in Asia. This is an exciting time for Accuray's TomoTherapy System in Asia and we look forward to continued adoption and scientific discovery in the coming year."

About Accuray

Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), based in Sunnyvale, Calif., is the premier radiation oncology company. Accuray develops, manufactures and sells personalized, innovative treatment solutions that revolve around the patient. Accuray's innovative technologies – the CyberKnife System and TomoTherapy Systems – set the standard of care with the aim of helping patients live longer, better lives. To date, more than 200,000 patients worldwide have been treated using the company's technologies and more than 550 systems have been installed in leading hospitals around the world. For more information, please visit www.accuray.com.

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