Advanced Radiation Therapy Acquires AccuBoost Assets From Elekta

TYNGSBORO, Mass., Jan. 14, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advanced Radiation Therapy (ART), manufacturer of the AccuBoost System for radiation therapy of partial breast and Elekta a global leader in cancer management systems and software, announced today that they have executed an agreement whereby ART acquires the assets of all AccuBoost installations held by Elekta, its worldwide distribution partner. As part of the transaction, ART has purchased the assets and the operating agreements for more than 20 installations in the U.S. The transaction is designed to enable both companies to focus on their core competencies, and serves AccuBoost user groups by allowing ART to increase its support to these installations.

Piran Sioshansi, Ph.D., President and CEO of ART, stated: "The support of Nucletron/Elekta has been helpful for the growth of the AccuBoost product to become an established treatment option for partial breast radiation therapy in the United States. With this agreement, AccuBoost will resume its lead position in support of the treatment centers and concentrate on future growth of the technology and accelerate the introduction of new treatment options."

"AccuBoost is well positioned to enter into a stage of substantial growth," Dr. Sioshansi continued, "and plans to hire additional staff and work independently with all of the providers in the radiation oncology marketplace."

source: Globenewswire

Varian Medical Systems Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for Vitesse™ Brachytherapy Treatment Planning Software

PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) has received an FDA 510(k) clearance for the latest version of its Vitesse™ real time planning for HDR brachytherapy which is used to plan and perform high-dose-rate (HDR), ultrasound-guided brachytherapy treatments for prostate cancer.

"This version of Vitesse reduces the number and complexity of steps involved in planning and completing a treatment. It eliminates the need for a data transfer to another software program, and avoids moving the patient to a CT scanner for images in the middle of the procedure. For these reasons, most clinicians will see a reduction in the amount of time needed to complete these treatments, often by as much as an hour and a half," said Tim Clark, marketing manager for Varian BrachyTherapy.

HDR brachytherapy involves delivering radiotherapy from inside the body by temporarily placing a tiny radioactive source directly into the tumor or other targeted area. Using a robotic device called an afterloader, clinicians place the radioactive source into positions through needles that have been inserted into the area being treated. The source is then moved within the needles under computer control to create the specified dose distribution within the patient's anatomy.

source: Varian

Stigma stymies prostate cancer screening, treatment in Ghana

PHILADELPHIA—Infectious diseases in Ghana tend to capture the most attention, but a quiet crisis may soon take over as the country's most threatening epidemic: cancer.

A new study published in January in the journal BMC Cancer, led by Kosj Yamoah, M.D., Ph.D., a resident in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital, takes aim at the issue by investigating prostate cancer diagnoses and treatment delivery in black men living in the West African region, in order to devise research strategies to help improve health outcomes.

Overall, many men are diagnosed at a later stage, with more than half opting out of treatment, they found. The researchers point to stigmas about cancer as a root of the problem.

"Cancer could eclipse infectious diseases as an epidemic if more awareness and intervention doesn't come about," said Dr. Yamoah, who grew up in Ghana until age 20, when he came to the United States. "Cancer can be very hush-hush because of cultural and financial issues and social stigmas associated with the disease. We need to bring awareness and address the needs of the population and barriers to care."

"Cancer is still perceived as a death sentence," he added. "People are scared to go to their doctor to find out if they have it, let alone to follow through with treatment."

In a retrospective analysis of 379 patients referred for treatment at the National Center for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) from 2003 to 2009, the team found that 33 percent were diagnosed with metastatic disease and 70 percent had a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) score four times higher than men in the United States or Europe at time of diagnosis.

PSA screening rates in Ghana are low, the authors explain, and many men opt out of radiation therapy and other therapies after diagnosis. Out of the 251 patients eligible for radiation therapy, only 141 patients actually received external beam radiation therapy.

source: Eurekalert

Elekta and Philips Gain MD Anderson Cancer Center as Collaborator in Research Consortium on MRI-Guided Radiation Therapy

ATLANTA, Jan. 24 – Elekta (NSE: EKTAb) and Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) announced today that The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, Texas) has signed an agreement to join a research group to advance the development of an innovative image-guided treatment technology for cancer care. The technology merges radiation therapy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology in a single system. MD Anderson is the second member of the research consortium, which will comprise leading radiation oncology centers and clinicians, and already includes the University Medical Center Utrecht (the Netherlands).

Uniting state-of-the-art MRI with a cutting edge radiation therapy system – thus creating an MRI-guided radiation therapy system – will provide physicians with exceptional images of a patient’s soft tissues and tumor during radiation therapy. This breakthrough innovation also aims to enable clinicians to adapt treatment delivery in real time for the most precise cancer treatments possible.

“The special capabilities of the MRI-guided radiation therapy system – MR-based soft tissue imaging performed simultaneously with treatment delivery – could revolutionize cancer care,” says Jay Hoey, Executive Vice President, Elekta North America. “Patients are the ultimate winners, because MR imaging will help put the therapeutic radiation right on target, with the potential to avoid exposure to normal tissues. My colleagues at Elekta, Philips and University Medical Center Utrecht are thrilled to welcome MD Anderson to the research consortium, which will profit immensely from this center’s high-caliber medical, technological and patient care expertise.”

source: Elekta

Qigong Improves Quality of Life for Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy

Newswise — HOUSTON - Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have found qigong, an ancient mind-body practice, reduces depressive symptoms and improves quality of life in women undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer.

The study, published in the journal Cancer, is the first to examine qigong in patients actively receiving radiation therapy and include a follow-up period to assess benefits over time. Even though individual mind-body practices such as meditation and guided imagery appear to reduce aspects of distress and improve quality of life, questions remain about their effectiveness when conducted in conjunction with radiation therapy.

"We were also particularly interested to see if qigong would benefit patients experiencing depressive symptoms at the start of treatment," said Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., professor in MD Anderson's Departments of General Oncology and Behavioral Science and director of the Integrative Medicine Program. "It is important for cancer patients to manage stress because it can have a profoundly negative effect on biological systems and inflammatory profiles."

source: Newswise

Elekta and Philips Gain MD Anderson Cancer Center as Collaborator in Research Consortium on MRI-Guided Radiation Therapy

ATLANTA, Jan. 24 – Elekta (NSE: EKTAb) and Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) announced today that The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, Texas) has signed an agreement to join a research group to advance the development of an innovative image-guided treatment technology for cancer care. The technology merges radiation therapy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology in a single system. MD Anderson is the second member of the research consortium, which will comprise leading radiation oncology centers and clinicians, and already includes the University Medical Center Utrecht (the Netherlands).

Uniting state-of-the-art MRI with a cutting edge radiation therapy system – thus creating an MRI-guided radiation therapy system – will provide physicians with exceptional images of a patient’s soft tissues and tumor during radiation therapy. This breakthrough innovation also aims to enable clinicians to adapt treatment delivery in real time for the most precise cancer treatments possible.

“The special capabilities of the MRI-guided radiation therapy system – MR-based soft tissue imaging performed simultaneously with treatment delivery – could revolutionize cancer care,” says Jay Hoey, Executive Vice President, Elekta North America. “Patients are the ultimate winners, because MR imaging will help put the therapeutic radiation right on target, with the potential to avoid exposure to normal tissues. My colleagues at Elekta, Philips and University Medical Center Utrecht are thrilled to welcome MD Anderson to the research consortium, which will profit immensely from this center’s high-caliber medical, technological and patient care expertise.”

source:Elekta

Study: Radical Prostatectomy Bests Radiation For Prostate Cancer

NEW YORK, Jan. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A comparative review of more than 230 previously published studies bumps radical prostate removal surgery above radiation in cost-effectiveness, quality of life after treatment, and patient survival. Surgery, whether performed traditionally, laparoscopically, or robotically, demonstrated improved outcomes across all three factors when compared to radiation for prostate cancer in the form of intensity-modulate radiation therapy, brachytherapy, or a combination of the two.

Dr. David Samadi , Vice Chairman, Department of Urology, and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center believes these findings will be instrumental in shaping prostate cancer treatment decisions among newly diagnosed patients. "The comprehensive nature of this study gives very meaningful support to patients weighing prostate cancer treatment options," he said. "This data demonstrates that prostatectomy surgery saves money and lives. That verification, combined with the unique results of my SMART (Samadi Modified Advanced Robotic Technique) surgery, makes robotic surgery a superior choice for patients, their families, and the healthcare system."

source: PR Newswire

Advanced Radiation Therapy Acquires AccuBoost Assets From Elekta

TYNGSBORO, Mass., Jan. 14, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advanced Radiation Therapy (ART), manufacturer of the AccuBoost System for radiation therapy of partial breast and Elekta a global leader in cancer management systems and software, announced today that they have executed an agreement whereby ART acquires the assets of all AccuBoost installations held by Elekta, its worldwide distribution partner. As part of the transaction, ART has purchased the assets and the operating agreements for more than 20 installations in the U.S. The transaction is designed to enable both companies to focus on their core competencies, and serves AccuBoost user groups by allowing ART to increase its support to these installations.

Piran Sioshansi, Ph.D., President and CEO of ART, stated: "The support of Nucletron/Elekta has been helpful for the growth of the AccuBoost product to become an established treatment option for partial breast radiation therapy in the United States. With this agreement, AccuBoost will resume its lead position in support of the treatment centers and concentrate on future growth of the technology and accelerate the introduction of new treatment options."

"AccuBoost is well positioned to enter into a stage of substantial growth," Dr. Sioshansi continued, "and plans to hire additional staff and work independently with all of the providers in the radiation oncology marketplace."

source: GlobeNewswire