MRI-Guided Radiation Therapy Aims to Prolong Survival and Reduce Complications for the Most Challenging Cancers

CLEVELAND, Oct. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading oncology experts from around the world met to discuss the integration of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with radiation therapy and its potential to extend life expectancy and reduce common side effects in many cancer patients. ViewRay, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRAY), maker of MRIdian^®, the world's first and only FDA-cleared, MRI-guided radiation therapy system, and Miami Cancer Institute, co-hosted experts from research hospitals at the cutting-edge of cancer treatment at the September 28 symposium and panel discussion.

Presenters and panel participants included Minesh Mehta, M.D., chief of radiation oncology, and Michael Chuong, M.D., director of radiation oncology clinical research and education, at Miami Cancer Institute, a part of Baptist Health South Florida, Michael Bassetti, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of radiation oncology at University of Wisconsin, Carbone Cancer Center and Raymond Wynn, M.D., FACR, professor and vice chair of network operations in the department of radiation oncology at Loyola University Medical Center.

"Seldom do we see this much excitement around a technology," Mehta said. "For the first time, we're able to see high-contrast soft tissue images that clearly delineate tumors from the surrounding healthy organs. This allows us to deliver radiation more precisely, and in some cases, may even allow us to increase the radiation dose to more aggressively fight the cancer."

"MRIdian has taken much of the guesswork out of radiation therapy. Its visualization and adaptive abilities are of benefit in treating many types of cancer, but they are especially vital when treating tumors that move significantly during treatment, such as tumors in the lung or liver. We can now watch the changes within the body in real-time and respond accordingly," Chuong said. "This leads to more accurate treatment of the tumor and minimizes irradiation of nearby normal tissues, potentially reducing the side effects."

"This technology is a true game-changer, and we are honored to be the first center in Illinois and first community practice nationwide to offer it to our patients," Wynn said. "MRI-guided radiation therapy enables us to deliver more accurate and effective radiation doses, in fewer sessions, while sparing healthy tissue. This now makes what was science-fiction a science-reality."

"Seeing the tumor and surrounding healthy tissues and organs in great detail allows us to adapt the treatment in order to improve dosing and accuracy," Bassetti said. "Early results in pancreatic cancer suggest that the ability to deliver higher radiation doses with adaptive MRI-guided radiation therapy may improve patient survival while maintaining low toxicity. We look forward to further investigating these promising outcomes." 

ViewRay has announced the launch of a multi-center prospective clinical trial in pancreatic cancer to investigate the robustness of encouraging early data in patients treated with MRI-guided radiation therapy. The study aims to track patient survival and quality of life over a 5-year period. The trial is expected to open enrollment in the coming weeks.

ViewRay's MRIdian system has been installed at more than 15 leading research hospitals around the world, where it is being used to treat a wide variety of solid tumors and is the focus of numerous ongoing clinical trials. It has been recognized and studied in more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and hundreds of scientific meeting abstracts and presentations. More than 3,000 patients have been treated with MRIdian. For a list of treatment centers, please visit: https://viewray.com/mridian-locator.

About Miami Cancer Institute
Miami Cancer Institute is a next-generation cancer treatment destination known for its leading clinical care and research, compassionate patient experience and state-of-the-art technology – including the first proton therapy center in South Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the only radiation oncology program in the world with each of the latest radiation therapies in one place. The Institute offers an impressive roster of established community oncologists and renowned cancer experts, clinical researchers and genomic scientists recruited from the nation's top cancer centers. As Florida's only member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Alliance, Miami Cancer Institute is part of a deep and functional collaboration that affords patients access to innovative treatments right here at home and ensures that the standards of care developed by our multidisciplinary disease management teams match those at MSK. Heralded nationally as one of the "hybrid" cancer centers of the future, Miami Cancer Institute combines high-quality community-based cancer care with the best of an academic cancer center, including innovative clinical trials tied to research and genomics and disease-specific surgeons, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists who are experts in their fields. For more information, visit MiamiCancerInstitute.com.

About ViewRay® and MRIdian®
ViewRay, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRAY) designs, manufactures and markets the MRIdian® radiation therapy system. MRIdian is built upon a proprietary high-definition MR imaging system designed from the ground up to address the unique challenges and clinical workflow for advanced radiation oncology. Unlike MR systems used in diagnostic radiology, MRIdian's high-definition MR was purpose built to address specific challenges, including beam distortion, skin toxicity and other concerns that potentially may arise when high magnetic fields interact with radiation beams. ViewRay and MRIdian are registered trademarks of ViewRay, Inc.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause future results to differ materially from those referenced. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the ability of health care centers to implement efficient and effective MRI-guided radiation therapy programs and that these programs will provide clinically significant benefits such as: timely and useful visualization and treatment adaptation; higher, more effective dosing; improved tumor targeting precision; minimized toxicities; improved survival; and potentially reduced side effects. Given these uncertainties, the reader is advised not to place any undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors include, among others, the ability to raise the additional funding needed to continue to pursue ViewRay's business and product development plans, the inherent uncertainties associated with developing new products or technologies, competition in the industry in which ViewRay operates, government and regulatory uncertainty, including but not limited to obtaining authorizations to market and new tariffs and trade restrictions, and overall market conditions. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and ViewRay assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factor disclosure set forth in the reports and other documents ViewRay files with the SEC available at www.sec.gov.

ViewRay and MRIdian are registered trademarks owned by ViewRay, Inc. 

SOURCE ViewRay, Inc.

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