Vanderbilt Medical Center treats first patient in Galil Medical's new TRACE renal registry

Galil Medical, a global leader in minimally invasive cryotherapy cancer treatments, today announced that Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., has treated the first patient to be included in its new patient registry.

The registry, called Tracking Renal Tumors After Cryoablation Evaluation (TRACE), will allow physicians and the company to follow and evaluate the use and effectiveness of cryotherapy treatment for patients with renal (kidney) tumors.

Cryotherapy is a minimally invasive procedure that uses very thin needles to target and freeze tumors. Minimally invasive ablative therapies are increasingly used because they spare more kidney tissue and offer reduced post-procedure pain, fewer complications and faster patient recovery compared with more invasive therapies. 

"TRACE is an opportunity to prospectively assess the effectiveness and safety of cryoablation in the management of renal cell carcinoma in a rigorous, scientific way across multiple institutions and surgeons using a standardized treatment platform and data collection instrument," said Peter Clark, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Urologic Surgery at Vanderbilt Medical Center. Clark, an expert in renal cancer biology, serves as scientific advisor for the multicenter study.

Geoffrey E. Wile, M.D., assistant professor of Radiology and Radiologic Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, performed the procedure today.

Bill Jacqmein, Galil Medical's chief technology officer, said, "We are pleased that Dr. Herrell is serving as one of the co-chairs of the TRACE Registry." S. Duke Herrell, M.D., associate professor of Urologic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, is an internationally recognized expert in renal cancer and minimally invasive cancer treatment techniques in urologic surgery.

Galil Medical initiated the TRACE Registry in May 2010 and expects to enroll an estimated 250 patients in approximately 10 sites in the United States. Martin J. Emerson, president and chief executive officer of Galil Medical, said, "This is a major milestone for Galil. With the TRACE Registry, we have begun to fulfill our promise of supporting our research and development efforts with robust clinical data. We are very pleased to be working with a prominent institution like Vanderbilt Medical Center on this important initiative."