40% of the German Population Feel Uninformed About Cancer Treatment
Options According to the New Accuray / TNS EMDND Survey
Sunnyvale, February XX, 2015 - Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY) announced results of a survey of
1,000 German consumers, which reveal that while respondents have a basic level of knowledge on
cancer care options, 40 percent believe they do not have enough information to have a personal opinion
on treatments. Overall, the survey indicates more education may be needed to enable people to make
an informed decision if faced with a cancer diagnosis.
“Myths, misconceptions and a lack of information contribute to an inability to address cancer effectively
around the world”, said Cary Adams, CEO of UICC (Union for International Cancer Control). “World
Cancer Day gives all of us an opportunity to highlight factors which inhibit society’s ability to address
cancer successfully – prevent it, detect it, treat it and care for those with the disease. All countries face
challenges and I am hopeful that we are all able to highlight what can be done to reduce the burden of
cancer in the long term.”
Although many people are familiar with cancer treatments, a significant proportion lacks specific
knowledge about the available therapeutic options. When asked about their awareness of different
ways to treat cancer, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, radiotherapy was the least
known of the three treatments, with half of all respondents stating that they lack knowledge about the
procedure. Chemotherapy is better understood, with 58 percent of survey respondents stating to know
exactly what it is and surgery the most familiar treatment, with 62 percent of participants knowing how
it works.
“In honor of World Cancer Day on February 4, we want to raise awareness about the availability of
treatment options to treat tumors anywhere in the body, and to offer hope to patients who have
inoperable or surgically complex tumors, or who may be looking for a non-surgical option,” said Lionel
Hadjadjeba, senior vice president international business and general manager of Accuray International.
“We’re committed to providing patients with state-of-the-art radiotherapy treatment solutions that
precisely target the cancerous tumor while minimizing side effects and maximizing quality of life, during
and after treatment.”
Radiotherapy: personalization of treatments thanks to novel solutions
In the last 30 years, radiotherapy has evolved as a result of imaging solutions and computer technology.
It is now possible to aim the radiation beams more precisely, so they are matched to the shape of the
tumor; vary the strength of the beam; and deliver beams from multiple directions. This provides
clinicians with the ability to deliver a high dose of radiation to the tumor, while helping to spare normal,
healthy tissue. An increasing trend is the use of a technique called hypofractionation. Hypofractionation
typically involves the administration of higher doses over a shorter period of time (fewer days) for
diseases such as prostate or liver cancers, compared to conventional radiation therapy which generally
delivers lower dose over several weeks.2 Potential benefits of hypofractionation may include patient
convenience and lower overall treatment costs.
The CyberKnife®and TomoTherapy® Systems: two innovative solutions for precise treatments
The Accuray CyberKnife M6™ Series and TomoTherapy H™ Series treatment solutions cover the entire
spectrum of radiation therapy needs. The CyberKnife M6 Series enables precise, high-quality, dose
distributions to be confidently delivered to the patient with extreme accuracy over a minimum number
of treatments, reducing side effects and preserving patients' quality of life. The CyberKnife System is the
only robotic full-body radiosurgery system available today. The TomoTherapy H Series efficiently
enables physicians to customize treatment plans for the entire range of radiation therapy patients and
disease types. Its innovative design enables treatment plans to be delivered with integrated, daily CT
image guidance, enhancing accuracy and delivering highly precise, intensity-modulated radiation for
optimal sparing of healthy tissue and critical structures.
About Accuray
Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY) is a radiation oncology company that develops, manufactures and
sells precise, innovative tumor treatment solutions that set the standard of care with the aim of helping
patients live longer, better lives. The company's leading-edge technologies deliver the full range of
radiation therapy and radiosurgery treatments.
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements made in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking
statements and are subject to the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate, but are not limited, to market adoption
and acceptance, clinical applications, clinical results, patient outcomes and Accuray’s leadership position
in radiation oncology innovation and technologies. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations, including but not
limited to the risks detailed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the company’s report on Form 10-K,
filed on August 29, 2014, the company’s report on Form 10-Q, filed on November 7, 2014, and the
company’s other filings with the SEC.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements are made and are based on
information available to the company at the time those statements are made and/or management’s
good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events. The company assumes no obligation to
update forward-looking statements to reflect actual performance or results, changes in assumptions or
changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information, except to the extent required by
applicable securities laws. Accordingly, investors should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking
statements.
Contact:
Edelman GmbH
Daya Houdayer
Tel.: + 49 (0) 69 401 254 498
E-Mail: daya.houdayer@edelman.com
References:
The Omnibus survey was conducted by TNS EMNID on behalf of Accuray International in January 2015. The sample
was made up of 1,021 people, representative of the German population. This representative sample was
guaranteed by the use of quota sampling (sex, age, past occupation for retirees) after stratification by region and
size of urban area. The interviews were conducted on the phone.