Brachytherapy News and Research

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Brachytherapy is a minimally invasive procedure that involves the use of radioactive seeds the size of rice grains. Brachytherapy, an out-patient procedure, usually takes 45 minutes to an hour to perform. Most patients can return to their normal activities within days. The success rates of prostate brachytherapy have compared favorably with success rates of radical prostatectomy and external beam radiation. In comparison studies, prostate brachytherapy has shown to have a favorable side effect profile when compared with other modalities. Clinical studies have shown that prostate brachytherapy has a cure rate of 94% for appropriately selected patients.

itm FlowMedical initiates Rhenium-PTA therapy clinical trial in PAOD

itm FlowMedical GmbH announced the start of OPEN-188 clinical trial. It will compare itm Rhenium-PTA, a therapy for the prevention of restenosis in peripheral vessels, to a regular PTA, the standard therapy for the treatment of PAOD.

23 Aug 2011

IsoRay Cs-131 mesh brachytherapy with da Vinci Robot for lung cancer treatment gains momentum

IsoRay, Inc. said today that a growing number of hospitals and medical treatment centers are adopting its proprietary mesh Cesium-131 (Cs-131) brachytherapy seeds (internal radiation therapy) for use in conjunction with the da Vinci® Surgical System to treat early stage lung cancer patients. One of the most recent adopters is Georgia's Archbold Memorial Hospital.

23 Aug 2011

Metallofullerene platform holds promise for treatment of brain tumors

A single compound with dual function - the ability to deliver a diagnostic and therapeutic agent - may one day be used to enhance the diagnosis, imaging and treatment of brain tumors, according to findings from Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Tech.

5 Aug 2011

Metallofullerene-based nanoplatform shows promise against glioblastomas

Researchers from two universities have developed and tested a molecular platform that offers hope for treatment of aggressive brain tumors.

4 Aug 2011

Accuray to showcase CyberKnife, TomoTherapy systems at AAPM/COMP meeting

Accuray Incorporated, the premier radiation oncology company, announced today that it will showcase the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System and the TomoTherapy Radiation Therapy Treatment System in the company's booths at the 2011 Joint American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM)/Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP) Meeting.

1 Aug 2011

Hormone therapy may be hazardous in men with pre-existing heart conditions

Adding hormone therapy to radiation therapy has been proven in randomized clinical trials to improve overall survival for men with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer. However, adding hormone therapy may reduce overall survival in men with pre-existing heart conditions, even if they have high-risk prostate cancer according to a new study just published online in advance of print in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology·Biology·Physics, the official scientific journal of ASTRO.

26 Jul 2011

Novalis Tx system for treatment of cancer goes into service today

A treatment system called the Novalis Tx has gone into service today, which has the ability to destroy cancerous cells virtually anywhere in the body in a single, 20-minute session, without the need for a single cut of the scalpel.

25 Jul 2011

Drummond Group provides complete EMR certification for Varian's ARIA software for radiation oncology

Varian Medical Systems today announced its ARIA® software for electronic medical records (EMR) and clinical practice management in radiation oncology has been certified for clinics that can now use it to qualify for federal funding under the U.S. HITECH Act.

18 Jul 2011

Varian receives 2011 R&D 100 Award for TrueBeam system for image-guided radiotherapy and radiosurgery

Varian Medical Systems today announced that the company's TrueBeam system for image-guided radiotherapy and radiosurgery has received a 2011 R&D 100 Award from R&D Magazine. This annual award salutes the 100 most technologically significant products of the prior year, spanning many categories, from biomedical products to consumer items.

23 Jun 2011

IsoRay announces combination therapy study for prostate cancer

IsoRay Inc., announced today a new dual therapy study using Cesium-131 brachytherapy (internal radiation therapy) and external beam radiation. Multiple sites have now received Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for this study which will examine the efficacy of combining intensity modulated radiation (IMRT) with Cesium-131 brachytherapy to treat intermediate and high risk early stage prostate cancer.

20 Jun 2011

Varian receives marketing approval for TrueBeam image-guided radiotherapy and radiosurgery system in Japan

Varian Medical Systems, Inc., the world's leading manufacturer of medical technology for treating cancer with radiotherapy, announced today it has received Shonin approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) to market the TrueBeam™ system for image-guided radiotherapy and radiosurgery in Japan.

15 Jun 2011

IsoRay completes Iotrex license agreement with Dr. Reddy's

IsoRay, Inc. announced today that it has completed a license agreement with Dr. Reddy's Laboratories for exclusive worldwide licensing rights to Iotrex, a liquid iodine radiation, for use in brain cancer treatment.

7 Jun 2011

Results from HSPPC-96 Phase 2 study against recurrent gliobastoma presented at ASCO 2011

In data presented at The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, cancer researchers found that the brain tumor vaccine HSPPC-96 for treating recurrent gliobastoma (GBM) has a favorable safety profile and extends survival by two to three times more than the current median survival rate.

4 Jun 2011

Many women over 70 with stage I breast cancer opt for radiation therapy: ASCO

Patterns of radiation usage in breast conserving therapy for women 70 years and older with stage I breast cancer are changing: more women are opting for radioactive implants and those with estrogen positive tumors are opting out of radiation therapy, according to an abstract being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago by Thomas Jefferson University Hospital researchers on Saturday, June 4.

3 Jun 2011

IsoRay third fiscal quarter sales increase 17%

IsoRay Inc., announced financial results for the third fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2011 underscoring significant improvements in quarterly sales revenue growth both sequentially and in the prior year quarter. Sales increased 17% in the period with the Company posting a 581% gain in gross profit compared to the prior year third quarter.

16 May 2011

Theragenics reports consolidated revenue of $20.3 million for first quarter 2011

Theragenics Corporation, a medical device company serving the surgical products and prostate cancer treatment markets, today announced consolidated financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2011.

5 May 2011

ASTRO develops new thoracic radiotherapy guideline

The American Society for Radiation Oncology has developed a guideline for the use of external beam radiation therapy, endobronchial brachytherapy and concurrent chemotherapy to palliate thoracic symptoms caused by advanced lung cancer. The guideline will be published in Practical Radiation Oncology, an official journal of ASTRO.

28 Apr 2011

RaySearch receives order for its RayStation system from RISO

RaySearch Laboratories AB has received an order for its RayStation treatment planning system from RISO, the Radiotherapeutic Institute in Deventer, the Netherlands.

19 Apr 2011

Varian Medical Systems launches new brachytherapy applicator

Varian Medical Systems is introducing a new brachytherapy applicator for treating endometrial cancer patients after a hysterectomy. The Capri applicator, aimed at increasing patient comfort and allowing clinicians to better sculpt the radiotherapy dose, is being exhibited this week at the annual American Brachytherapy Society meeting in San Diego.

15 Apr 2011

Study finds SAVI applicator for breast brachytherapy safe for women with breast implants

The SAVI® applicator for breast brachytherapy was used to safely deliver post-lumpectomy radiation therapy to a woman with breast implants, according to a newly published paper in a peer-reviewed journal. The case study showed that SAVI produced an "optimal" clinical outcome and "excellent cosmetic results that pleased the patient," wrote the authors.

12 Apr 2011