Mitsubishi to begin production of MHI-TM2000 Linear Accelerator

Tokyo, January 22, 2008 - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) will begin full-scale production and marketing of a highly advanced radiotherapy machine for cancer treatment capable of precise identification of tumor location and exact targeting of X-ray irradiation. The new machine, the MHI-TM2000 linear accelerator system, can capture a cancer -affected area more precisely and delivery radiation beam more accurately than existing machines. MHI obtained manufacturing and marketing approval, based on the Pharmaceutical Law, from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on January 16, following earlier approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Now that these approvals have been secured, MHI will commence active marketing both at home and abroad.

For more information see Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd press release.

HCPCS Reimbursement Code for Implantable Radiation Dosimeter Makes DVS(R) Accessible to More Patients

MORRISVILLE, N.C. — Sicel Technologies, Inc. announced today that CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) has established a new HCPCS code (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System) that became effective on January 1, 2008, for implantable radiation dosimeters.

The code will provide a mechanism for providers to report the cost for the DVS(R) (Dose Verification System), the first implantable dosimeter used to verify radiation dose during radiation therapy treatment and serve as a radiographic treatment marker. The code, which will be used by radiation therapy centers to report the medical device when implanted in any body site, makes DVS more accessible to patients undergoing radiation treatment for breast and prostate cancer because insurers will have the ability to identify the use of this novel technology and provide payment for patients treated with the DVS technology. Separate codes are available to cover the cost associated with implanting the device.

centredaily.com

Study Links Quality Of Breast Cancer Care And Physician Characteristics

Whether a woman receives radiation after breast cancer surgery may be associated with certain characteristics of her surgeon, including sex and medical training, according to a study published online January 29 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Many breast cancer patients do not receive radiation after undergoing breast conservation surgery, despite the fact that this treatment is considered a standard of quality cancer care and has been shown to reduce breast cancer recurrence. Previous studies have shown that certain patient characteristics, such as a patient's race and distance from a radiation therapy facility, are associated with receiving post-surgical radiation. But it has been unclear whether physician characteristics also play a role in the quality of breast cancer care.

MedicalNewsToday

Surgeons' Characteristics Influence Breast Cancer Care

TUESDAY, Jan. 29 (HealthDay News) - Individual surgeon characteristics, such as gender and medical training, may influence whether a women receives radiation after breast conservation cancer surgery, a U.S. study suggests.

Many breast cancer patients don't receive radiation therapy after breast conservation therapy, even though it's been shown to reduce breast cancer recurrence and is considered a standard of quality care, according to background information in the study.

CBC News

Cyberknife Technique Leaves Patients Beaming

The CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System may blast targeted doses of radiation that shrink tumors, but it's the nurses at Winthrop-University Hospital who prepare the patients for the procedure and provide the TLC.

“What's so wonderful is we can offer radiation to patients who have failed radiation or chemotherapy,” says Elaine Montchal, RN, CyberKnife nurse coordinator at Winthrop -University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y. “This gives another treatment option we can offer them.”

CyberKnife directs precisely targeted radiation to tumors. Radiation oncologists can sculpt the beam to reach small, deeply imbedded masses considered inoperable or untreatable with conventional radiation or surgery.

Nurse.com

Siemens Receives FDA 510(K) Clearance for Next Generation Radiation Therapy Solution

CONCORD, Calif., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Siemens Medical Solutions (www.usa.siemens.com/medical) announced it has received FDA 510(k) marketing clearance for the sale and distribution of its most recent innovation in radiation therapy technology, the ARTISTE(TM.

Developed by Siemens' Oncology Care Systems, the ARTISTE Solution is a linear accelerator engineered specifically for Adaptive Radiation Therapy (ART). Unique in design, ARTISTE is an integrated imaging and workflow solution that provides a comprehensive portfolio of image-guided and advanced treatment delivery protocols.

This new radiation therapy solution offers clinicians multiple imaging modalities. From Megavoltage (MV) to gold-standard, in-room CT imaging, clinicians can select the optimal imaging application for their treatment approach.

PR Newswire

Adjuvant radiation might improve survival in patients with localized pancreatic
cancer.

Patients with pancreatic cancer who receive external beam radiotherapy survive longer
than those who are treated with surgery alone, according to the results of a retrospective analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Management of patients with pancreatic cancer is an ongoing challenge because despite
improvements in surgical technique and the introduction of new treatment regimens,
prognosis remains extremely poor. 5-year survival rates after attempts at curative surgery range from just 14% to 27%.

source article - Cancer Media Service

TomoTherapy Releases Hi-Art® Treatment System Version 3.1

MADISON, Wis. – Jan. 23, 2008 – TomoTherapy Incorporated (NASDAQ: TOMO) announced today that it has begun shipping a faster version of its proven platform for image-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IG-IMRT). Version 3.1 of the TomoTherapy® Hi·Art® treatment system includes new software and hardware features that enhance clinical productivity and system usability, and are expected to increase patient throughput.

During December, TomoTherapy conducted a time-on-task study to assess the Hi·Art system version 3.1 enhancements in a clinical setting. Results show savings of up to 5 minutes per patient have been achieved over previous versions, based on a standard 20-minute treatment slot.

Tomotherapy

Smoking ups risk with radiation for breast cancer

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cigarette smoking dramatically increases the risk that a woman who has undergone radiation treatment for breast cancer will develop lung cancer later on, a new study shows.

Radiation after mastectomy may be considered for some high-risk breast cancer patients, Dr. Elizabeth L. Kaufman and colleagues from Columbia University in New York City point out in their report. However, radiation can cause many complications, including increasing the likelihood that a patient will develop lung cancer 10 or more years after treatment, they add.

Medline Plus

Radiotherapy As Effective As Surgery In Bladder Cancer Treatment, UK

Radiotherapy is as effective as surgery in treating bladder cancer, according to a study* published recently.

The study by Cancer Research UK scientists has found that survival rates among bladder cancer patients treated with radiotherapy in Leeds are the same as those associated with radical cystectomy - surgery involving the complete removal of the bladder.

The finding suggests that radiotherapy could be preferred over surgery, particularly in elderly patients, because of the potentially severe impact on quality of life that removing the bladder can have.

MedicalNewsToday