The cost of stereotactic radiosurgical systems spiked nearly 33% in August and has risen nearly 23% over the 12-month period ended that month, according to the latest edition of the Modern Healthcare/ECRI Institute Technology Price Index.

The TPI tracks the monthly and annual price changes of 30 supply and capital items that hospitals and other provider organizations purchase.

The average price of stereotactic systems in August was about $4.6 million, more than $1 million higher than the July figure. ECRI's analysis suggests the increase was tied to interest in highly customized systems from Accuray and Varian Medical Systems, noting that customization makes the prices volatile.

The average price for PET/CT imaging equipment in August was $2.3 million, a 44% increase from 12 months earlier. A large portion of the difference is explained by purchases of Siemens' 128-slice scanner, ECRI said.