TomoTherapy(R) Cancer Treatment Technology Debuts In Switzerland

TomoTherapy Incorporated (NASDAQ: TTPY) announced that the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) has begun treating patients with the TomoTherapy(R) Hi-Art(R) treatment system, the first to be installed in Switzerland.

"We are pleased to work with the CHUV to make this new weapon in the fight against cancer available to Swiss patients," said Rik Van den Neste, M.D., director of European sales for TomoTherapy. "By implementing the TomoTherapy platform, the CHUV demonstrates its leadership and commitment to providing access to new strategies for care."

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Radiation Therapy Equipment Vendors Test System Integration

The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology hosted an Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise - Radiation Oncology (IHE-RO) connectathon recently at its headquarters in Fairfax, Va., to advance its effort to promote seamless connectivity and integration of radiotherapy equipment and patient health information systems. The connectathon was the final step in a multi-step process that included vendor development, software testing and real-time interconnectivity testing.

Allowing physicians to purchase the best equipment for their practices, regardless of manufacturer, will hopefully reduce medical errors as healthcare staff will no longer have to re-enter information because systems are unable to communicate. This will also allow equipment manufacturers to focus on developing their niche systems rather than forcing them to produce an entire product line.

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Safer, More Accurate Radiation Therapy For Expecting Mothers

Developing fetuses are extremely sensitive to radiation, which poses an impossible dilemma for expecting mothers in need of screening or treatment for cancer. Now researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new set of modeling tools that could enable safer, more accurate, and more effective radiation therapy and nuclear medicine imaging procedures for pregnant women.

Radiation is a doubled-edged sword: It holds the power to cure cancer, but if used improperly it can also cause serious damage to the human body. The situation is even more critical with pregnant females, as any errant radiation could severely harm and impede the growth of the fetus.

Science Daily

Eclipse Proton Scanning Algorithm From Varian Medical Systems Receives FDA Clearance

Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) has received FDA 510(k) clearance for a new proton scanning dose algorithm that offers clinicians greater control over how proton beams are used to target tumors and other abnormalities. The new algorithm, which has been incorporated into Varian's Eclipse treatment planning software, makes it possible to plan for intensity modulated proton therapy by optimizing dose distributions in three dimensions in order to protect surrounding healthy tissues.

This proton scanning technique improves on current proton delivery methods that require a therapist to enter and exit the treatment room numerous times throughout a treatment to adjust physical compensators for processing proton beams. "With proton scanning and intensity-modulation, this cumbersome process can be completely eliminated," said Jeff Amacker, Varian's business manager for treatment planning products.

MedicalNewsToday

New Image Guided Radiotherapy System Benefits High Risk Patients

A new radiotherapy system that combines high-tech imaging with precision tumor-targeting capability is helping cancer specialists at Stony Brook University Medical Center treat patients. Those with medically inoperable tumors, at high-risk for surgery, or who do not want surgical treatment may benefit most from the ExacTrac® X-ray 6D System for image-guided radiotherapy. The system adds to patient options for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), a technique that features high radiation doses with pinpoint precision to tumors.

Denis Keefe, 63, of Patchogue, N.Y., is a lung cancer patient who choose the image-guided radiotherapy system because it is the least invasive method available to treat his disease. Keefe was among the first patients to be treated with the system. The option was a good one for Keefe because his lung tumor was small and surgery remained risky because of his overall condition as a congestive heart failure patient.

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Newer Radiation Treatment Easier For Some Throat Cancer Patients

Treating throat cancer with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) can improve the health-related quality of life of patients compared to conventional radiation therapy (CRT), according to a study in the December 1 issue of the International Journal for Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

Oropharyngeal cancer, sometimes referred to as throat cancer, is a cancer that develops in the part of the throat located just behind the mouth, called the oropharynx. This includes cancer in the tonsil and in the back of the tongue. Squamous cell carcinomas, originating from the cells that normally form the lining of the mouth and throat, account for more than 90 percent of oropharyngeal cancers. In recent years, there is a trend for younger people and nonsmokers to develop this cancer.

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