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.

Addition of L19-IL2 can increase radiation therapy-induced immune response against tumours

Radiation therapy not only kills cancer cells, but also helps to activate the immune system against their future proliferation. However, this immune response is often not strong enough to be able to cure tumours, and even when it is, its effect is limited to the area that has been irradiated.

2 May 2016

SBRT for prostate cancer treatment offers higher cure rate than many traditional approaches

A five-year study shows that Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) to treat prostate cancer offers a higher cure rate than more traditional approaches, according to researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.

19 Apr 2016

Radiotherapy needs likely to increase in all European countries by 2025

The demand for radiotherapy across all European countries will increase by an average of 16% between 2012 and 2025, with the highest expected increase being for prostate cancer cases (24%), according to a new study published in Radiotherapy and Oncology.

19 Apr 2016

Varian to collaborate with several Brazilian institutions to train healthcare professionals on radiotherapy technology

Varian Medical Systems, today announced its intent to collaborate with several cancer treatment centers in Brazil for the training of healthcare professionals on advanced radiotherapy technologies.

4 Mar 2016

Maryland Proton Treatment Center completes first patient treatment with Varian ProBeam system

Varian Medical Systems, today announced the Maryland Proton Treatment Center successfully completed its first patient treatment with the Varian ProBeam system. The MPTC at the University of Maryland BioPark in West Baltimore houses five treatment rooms and is the first in the Eastern US to offer image-guided intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) with a ProBeam system.

24 Feb 2016

UW–Madison center continues to offer accurate radiation treatment

As radiation sources used to map disease and attack cancer grow in number and complexity, a University of Wisconsin-Madison center continues to offer the last word on accurate radiation doses.

1 Feb 2016

Study may help guide patients and physicians to determine appropriate treatment option for early breast cancer

In a review of guideline-concordant treatment modalities for women with early stage breast cancer, mastectomy and reconstruction had the highest rate of complications and complication-related costs, regardless of age. It was also the most expensive treatment option in a younger patient population, according to a new study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

11 Dec 2015

UCLA study finds cost variation across entire care process for low-risk prostate cancer

Now, for the first time, UCLA researchers have described cost across an entire care process for low-risk prostate cancer - from the time a patient checks in for his first appointment to his post-treatment follow-up testing - using time-driven activity-based costing. And they found a wide variation in costs for the various available treatments that remained consistent over a 12-year period, indicating a better method to monitor costs could save valuable healthcare dollars, said study first author Dr. Aaron Laviana, a fifth year urology resident.

3 Nov 2015

APBI brachytherapy improves overall survival in selected patients with early stage breast cancer

The Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (GEC-ESTRO) today announced results from a prospective, randomized, multicenter phase III study comparing accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) with interstitial multicatheter brachytherapy to whole breast irradiation (WBI).

20 Oct 2015

Elekta’s high field MRI-guided linear accelerator installed at MD Anderson Cancer Center

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Elekta and Philips teams recently completed installation of the first high field (1.5 Tesla) MRI-guided linear accelerator in the United States.

From Elekta 13 Oct 2015

Varian Medical Systems' ProBeam proton therapy system receives CE Mark approval

Varian Medical Systems has received CE Mark for its latest ProBeam proton therapy system. The CE Mark allows Varian to begin installation of the newest version of its ProBeam system in the European Union.

12 Oct 2015

UWE Bristol signs up for latest version of simulated Eclipse Radiotherapy Treatment Planning System

The University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) is the first Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the UK to sign up for the very latest version of a powerful simulated Radiotherapy Treatment Planning System (RTPS), which has been futureproofed.

14 Aug 2015

Three European medical centers planning upgrades to Elekta's stereotactic radiosurgery system for the brain

Three foremost medical centers in the United Kingdom and Germany have ordered and are now planning upgrades to Elekta's latest generation stereotactic radiosurgery system for the brain, Leksell Gamma Knife Icon, to provide the most advanced brain radiosurgery treatments for their patients.

From Elekta 13 Jul 2015

KF-SYSCC creates paperless, filmless clinical process in radiation oncology to enhance patient safety

The Koo Foundation Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center has established an entirely paperless and filmless clinical process in radiation oncology, designed to enhance patient safety as well as operational efficiency. Using the ARIA oncology information system from Varian Medical Systems, the clinical team has automated essential tasks, built in safety-checks, and centralized patient information for easier access by staff members.

13 Jul 2015

Indian hospital treats 10,000th patient using RapidArc radiotherapy technology

A three-year-old baby girl with a brain tumor has become the 10,000th patient at Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad, India to be treated using RapidArc radiotherapy technology from Varian Medical Systems.

30 Jun 2015

Partial breast radiation after lumpectomy does not increase cancer recurrence

A new study by UCLA scientists has found that women diagnosed with breast cancer and treated with a one-week regimen of partial breast radiation after the surgical removal of the tumor, or lumpectomy, saw no increase in cancer recurrence or difference in cosmetic outcomes compared to women who received radiation of the entire breast for a period of up to six weeks after surgery.

26 Jun 2015

Elekta's Esteya electronic brachytherapy improves outcomes in patients with basal cell carcinoma

Physicians at La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital - Valencia presented their early clinical outcome data on the use of Esteya electronic brachytherapy for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma in a paper in the current issue of Journal of Contemporary Brachytherapy. The ongoing study showed 100 percent complete response and excellent cosmetic outcome in all lesions treated to date with Esteya.

From Elekta 17 Jun 2015

Elekta inks contract with Samsung Medical Center to provide the first Leksell Gamma Knife Icon to Asia

Elekta has signed a contract with one of Korea's most advanced hospitals, Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, to deliver the first Leksell Gamma Knife Icon to Asia.

From Elekta 10 Jun 2015

Elekta's Leksell Gamma Knife Icon precision radiosurgery system CE marked

Elekta has CE marked its Leksell Gamma Knife Icon precision radiosurgery system, making this latest generation Leksell Gamma Knife platform available in the European market.