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.

Varian, Flatiron Health partner to develop next generation of cloud-based software for cancer care providers

Varian Medical Systems and Flatiron Health today announced a strategic alliance to develop the next generation of cloud-based, electronic health record (EHR), data analytics and decision support software for cancer care providers around the world.

26 May 2015

Elekta striving to build radiation therapy infrastructures and save lives of cancer patients in Africa

In Africa, cancer kills more people than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Approximately 40 percent of cancer cases can be prevented and 40 percent can be cured with the right treatment. Together with Elekta, ministries of health in almost a dozen African nations are working to build up their radiation therapy infrastructures and save lives.

From Elekta 6 May 2015

First patient receives new 'resistance-busting' experimental skin cancer drug

A patient has become the first to receive a new 'resistance-busting' experimental skin cancer drug with the launch of a phase I clinical trial. The patient has received a new panRAF inhibitor - a new type of drug under development to address the problem of drug resistance in advanced skin cancer and a number of other cancer types.

6 May 2015

Men who receive brachytherapy more likely to be cancer-free five years later

Results from a randomised controlled trial to compare the use of permanent radioactive implants (brachytherapy) with dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy in patients with prostate cancer show that the men who received brachytherapy were twice as likely to be cancer-free five years later.

27 Apr 2015

Brachytherapy improves overall survival for women with inoperable early stage endometrial cancer

Women who have early stage endometrial cancer and are inoperable tend to live longer if they have been treated with brachytherapy with or without external beam radiation, according to new research to be presented at the 3rd ESTRO Forum in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday.

27 Apr 2015

Elekta introduces new Leksell Gamma Knife Icon to treat patients with brain disease

With the introduction of Elekta's new Leksell Gamma Knife Icon, the benefits of precision cranial radiosurgery are now available for more patients with a wider variety of tumor types and sizes.

From Elekta 25 Apr 2015

iCAD announces adoption of Xoft Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System in Spain

iCAD, Inc., an industry-leading provider of advanced image analysis, workflow solutions and radiation therapy for the early identification and treatment of cancer, today announced the first Xoft Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy (eBx) System in Spain is now available at the Hospital Miguel Servet for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer, non-melanoma skin cancer and gynecological cancers.

25 Apr 2015

Dan Theodorescu awarded Barringer Medal for distinguished contributions to urology

Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, director of the NCI-designated University of Colorado Cancer Center and professor of Urology and Pharmacology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine was awarded the Barringer Medal this past Saturday from the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons for his distinguished contributions to urology.

25 Apr 2015

Elekta Healthcare Analytics to be introduced at HIMSS15

At the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's 2015 conference (HIMSS15), Elekta will introduce Elekta Healthcare Analytics, a solution for accelerating data analysis to improve clinical, operational and financial decision making.

From Elekta 12 Apr 2015

Varian Medical Systems plans to expand operations in Fulton County, Georgia

Varian Medical Systems, the world's leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer as well as a premier supplier of X-ray imaging components, today announced that it will expand its operations in Fulton County, Georgia. Company officials anticipate that this expansion will enable it to better serve its East Coast customers and accommodate anticipated growth that will create up to 100 new high-paying technical jobs over the next five years.

10 Mar 2015

Oraya's IRay Radiotherapy system gets CE Mark to treat choroidal metastases

Oraya Therapeutics announced today that the Oraya IRay® Radiotherapy system has received a CE Mark extension for the treatment of choroidal metastases, a cancer in the eye, originating most commonly from primary sites in the breast or lung.

6 Mar 2015

Varian reports progress towards making advanced treatments available for cancer patients in Africa

Varian Medical Systems, world leader in radiation therapy, is today reporting progress towards its goal of making advanced treatments systems more available for cancer patients across Africa. The company is presenting to government and healthcare leaders at the 2nd Africa Healthcare Summit.

27 Feb 2015

Elekta updates latest R&D work with special focus on high field MRI-guided radiation therapy

Elekta updated the market this morning on its latest research and development initiatives, with special focus on Atlantic, the first generation high field MRI-guided radiation therapy system. The company unveiled plans to introduce this game-changing technology in 2017 and deliver the first systems in 2018.

From Elekta 22 Jan 2015

Elekta helps new Australian cancer center make seamless transition to MOSAIQ OIS

As part of consolidating the cancer care of four Western Australian public services into a single, multi-disciplinary facility, the clinics will transition from their existing oncology information systems (OIS) to Elekta's MOSAIQ OIS.

From Elekta 19 Jan 2015

AMIC files de novo submission with FDA for Y-90 RadioGel device, seeks Class II reclassification

Advanced Medical Isotope Corporation, a late stage development company engaged primarily in the development of brachytherapy devices and medical isotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, today announced that it has filed a de novo submission with the Food and Drug Administration for marketing clearance for its patented Y-90 RadioGel(TM) device pursuant to Section 513(f)(2) of the U.S. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

23 Dec 2014

Elekta's Flexitron brachytherapy afterloading platform approved in China

Elekta announces that the China Food and Drug Administration has approved Elekta's Flexitron brachytherapy afterloading platform for sale and marketing in China.

From Elekta 18 Dec 2014

Cianna Medical's SAVI SCOUT surgical guidance system gets FDA clearance

Cianna Medical Inc. announced today U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance for the SAVI SCOUT surgical guidance system, a novel technology that uses real-time audible and visual indicators to give surgeons a precise way to target tissue during lumpectomy and excisional biopsy procedures.

11 Dec 2014

Use of HF-WBI for patients with early-stage breast cancer increases 17.4%, study finds

The use of hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation (HF-WBI) for patients with early-stage breast cancer increased 17.4 percent from 2004 to 2011, and patients are more likely to receive HF-WBI compared to conventionally fractionated whole-breast irradiation (CF-WBI) when they are treated at an academic center or live ≥50 miles away from a cancer center, according to a study published in the December 1, 2014 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (Red Journal), the official scientific journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

10 Dec 2014

Prostate cancer patients with life expectancies of less than 10 years receive aggressive treatment

National guidelines recommend that men with low- and intermediate -risk prostate cancer and life expectancies of less than 10 years should not be treated with radiation or surgery, since they are unlikely to live long enough to benefit from treatment. Yet it is unknown whether such men are unnecessarily receiving these aggressive local treatments, putting them at risk for potentially debilitating side effects.

2 Dec 2014

APBI with proton therapy less costly than other traditional treatments for early stage breast cancer

In terms of duration of treatment and cost, patients with early stage breast cancer may benefit from accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) with proton therapy versus whole breast irradiation (WBI), according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center.

3 Nov 2014