Data Support Use of CyberKnife to Treat High-Risk and Recurrent Prostate Cancer

Accuray Inc., announced that new data presented at the 2024 Radiosurgery Society Meeting support the use of the CyberKnife System in the treatment of high-risk and recurrent prostate cancer. The studies expand on years of published clinical follow-up with a large number of prostate cancer patients with various stages of disease, as well as with those who were previously treated with radiotherapy – supporting the system’s versatility and value to medical care teams.

“An extensive number of peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts have been published reporting on CyberKnife prostate SBRT efficacy and tolerability. This most recent RSS data demonstrates the ongoing interest in advancing patient care with the system, based on its ability to deliver the precision and accuracy necessary to not just help men to survive prostate cancer but also to have a meaningful quality of life post treatment,” said Seth Blacksburg, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer at Accuray.

The CyberKnife System enables treatment of prostate cancer using a form of radiation therapy called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) - very precise, high doses of radiation are delivered over a shorter duration than traditional treatments. The system’s precision enables clinicians to confidently treat the prostate gland, which is situated near the sensitive bladder and rectum, with SBRT. 

The CyberKnife platform offers an effective treatment option for prostate tumors in 4-5 sessions, compared to conventional radiation therapy that usually requires approximately 30-40 sessions over 8-10 weeks. Data presented at the RSS meeting showed its ability to:

• Effectively treat high-risk disease while preserving quality of life. Study authors concluded, “At the 3-year follow-up mark, favorable biochemical control was achieved, and patients had largely recovered to near baseline urinary and bowel function . . . These findings underscore the potential of SBRT as a convenient treatment option for high-risk prostate cancer, offering promising outcomes and preserving patient quality of life.”
• Provide a viable option with “a low incidence of short-term genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities” for reirradiation of locally recurrent prostate cancer.

The prostate gland can move unpredictably throughout the course of treatment. In fact, the prostate has been documented in several studies to move as much as 10 mm in as little as 30 seconds due to normal patient bodily functions – such as filling of the bladder, gas in the bowel, or even slight patient movement during the procedure making the ability to track, detect and correct for motion critically important. 

The CyberKnife System, using advanced imaging and real-time artificial intelligence (AI)-driven motion tracking and synchronization treatment delivery, with the Accuray proprietary Synchrony technology, can track the tumor and continually verify its position, automatically correcting and adapting the radiation beam position for even the slightest movement. For example, if the prostate moves during treatment the CyberKnife System detects this movement and synchronizes the treatment delivery beam to the tumor’s new position in real-time.