Accuray Incorporated announced today that doctors at Hospital Dr Domingo Luciani in Venezuela are now treating patients with the CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System, the first and only robotic radiosurgery system.
The CyberKnife System works by delivering high doses of radiation to tumors with extreme precision, essentially "painting" just the tumor with radiation while sparing surrounding healthy tissue and thereby reducing potential side effects. Today, the CyberKnife System is used as a non-invasive alternative to both conventional radiation therapy and surgery at leading centers worldwide.
Hospital Dr Domingo Luciani is a leading medical center in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. The hospital first started treating patients with the CyberKnife System in July 2012 and since then has treated patients for indications such as prostate cancer, gliomas and sarcomas. One of the first patients was a 22-year-old man who was treated with the CyberKnife System for a complex craniopharyngioma on the brainstem that caused debilitating impairments, including loss of vision, an inability to speak and reduced mobility. Just one week after treatment, the patient was talking again and he has continued to experience significant improvements, including a slow return of vision and mobility. Today, he is telling jokes, singing opera and feeling great.*
"At Hospital Dr Domingo Luciani , we are committed to offering patients the most advanced cancer treatment options available," said Selma Gamboa , director of The Radiotherapy Center Dr Domingo Luciani , in Caracas-Venezuela. "The CyberKnife System represents a significant step forward in the non-invasive treatment of tumors, offering patients a highly personalized option that effectively treats even the most challenging tumors while minimizing the impact on healthy tissue. With the help of the CyberKnife System, we are able to offer patients in the region renewed hope and the best care available."
Backed by numerous peer-reviewed studies supporting its safety and efficacy, the CyberKnife System provides a pain-free, non-invasive option for patients who are looking for an alternative to surgery and for patients who have inoperable or surgically complex tumors. Treatment with the CyberKnife System is typically completed in one to five days, instead of the 35 or more treatment sessions typically required with conventional radiation therapy, and unlike surgery, CyberKnife treatment requires minimal recovery time.
The CyberKnife System is unique because it not only tracks the motion of the tumor movement, it automatically corrects for that motion throughout treatment. The ability to manage motion in real time helps ensure that radiation is delivered only to the tumor while sparing healthy tissue and critical structures and is particularly helpful for treating tumors of the lung, liver and prostate where movement is common. Research shows that a reduction in radiation exposure to healthy tissue helps reduce side effects associated with treatment. In addition, the CyberKnife System's robotic arm allows for the delivery of radiation from any angle without the need to reposition patients on the treatment table.
"We are excited to announce that the CyberKnife System is now live in four leading centers in Latin America," said Joshua Levine , president and chief executive officer of Accuray. "This installation is an important milestone for Accuray as we expand our presence in the region and bring CyberKnife to this important patient population."
In August, Accuray announced treatment of the first patient in South America at Instituto Neurológico de Colombia (INDEC) in Medellin, Colombia. The CyberKnife System also is available at CHRISTUS MUGUERZA Hospital Alta Especialidad in Monterrey, Mexico and IMSS - Siglo XXI in Mexico City.
Source: http://www.accuray.com