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.

Surgery offers high survival rate for prostate cancer patients: Study

Surgery for localized prostate cancer offers a significantly higher survival rate than either external-beam radiation or hormonal therapies, according to a new study led by researchers at UCSF.The differences among therapies were more prominent at higher levels of cancer risk, and suggest, the researchers say, that in many cases surgery should play a greater role in treatment strategies for patients with prostate cancer that is likely to recur or spread.

7 Aug 2010

NYU Langone opens vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy trial to men with localized prostate cancer

NYU Langone Medical Center has begun a clinical trial offering vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy to patients with localized prostate cancer. This novel, minimally invasive procedure uses a light-activated drug to deliver light energy waves by way of laser fibers in order to destroy prostate cancer cells.

28 Jul 2010

Hybrid Linac-MR imaging system tracks cancer tumors in real time

Today, at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) in Philadelphia, a group of researchers from Stanford University will describe the latest developments toward their goal of integrating two existing medical devices -- medical linear accelerators, or "linacs," which produce powerful X-rays for treating cancer, and magnetic resonance imagers (MRIs), which are widely used to image tumors in the human body.

21 Jul 2010

John Theurer Cancer Center to acquire TrueBeam system for treating cancer patients

In a promising development for cancer patients in New Jersey and surrounding areas, the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center announced today that it will be the first cancer center in New Jersey to acquire an innovative system that enables a radically different approach to treating cancer with image-guided radiotherapy known as the TrueBeam- system.

20 Jul 2010

Three different methods for accurately measuring breast density

Two new studies announced this week have tested three different methods for accurately measuring breast density -- the relative portion of tissue to fat in a woman's breasts and a strong indicator of breast cancer risk.

19 Jul 2010

An overview of AAPM annual meeting

AAPM is the premier organization in medical physics, a broadly-based scientific and professional discipline encompassing physics principles and applications in medicine and biology. Its membership includes medical physicists who specialize in research that develops cutting-edge technologies and board-certified clinical medical physicists who apply these technologies in community hospitals, clinics, and academic medical centers.

16 Jul 2010

Philadelphia to host 52nd annual meeting of American Association of Physicists in Medicine

Next week the city of Philadelphia will host the 52nd annual meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), the premier organization in medical physics, a broadly-based scientific and professional discipline encompassing physics principles and applications in medicine and biology.

16 Jul 2010

Premier, Xoft execute group purchasing contract

Premier Inc., an alliance of more than 2,300 U.S. hospitals and 67,000-plus other healthcare sites working together to achieve high quality, cost-effective care, and Xoft, Inc., the leading provider of FDA-cleared Electronic Brachytherapy Systems, announced the execution of a group purchasing contract. Xoft was awarded an exclusive three-year contract for brachytherapy systems with Premier Purchasing Partners L.P., the group purchasing unit of Premier, Inc.

15 Jul 2010

Varian adopts Varicent for administering Sales Performance Management needs

Varicent Software Incorporated, the leading innovator in incentive compensation (ICM) and sales performance management (SPM) solutions, announced today that a business unit within Varian Medical Systems, the world's leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions, has selected Varicent for administering its complex sales incentive compensation plans and sales performance management activities.

14 Jul 2010

Oncura signs distribution agreement with Theragenics for palladium-103 brachytherapy seeds

ONCURA, a business unit of GE Healthcare and global leader in the minimally invasive permanent prostate brachytherapy management of prostate cancer, has announced that it has signed an agreement to distribute Theragenics Corporation TheraSeed(R) palladium-103 brachytherapy seeds.

14 Jul 2010

Highlights of AAPM 52nd meeting

The 52nd meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) convenes from July 18 - 22, 2010 in Philadelphia, PA.

14 Jul 2010

New study shows SAVI radiation therapy controls rate of breast cancer

A new study of breast cancer patients at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center and the Arizona Oncology Services shows that after almost two years, the radiation given with the Strut-Adjusted Volume Implant controls the rate of cancer and may reduce the complications seen with alternate types of brachytherapy.

13 Jul 2010

Theragenics signs supply agreement with Oncura for TheraSeed palladium-103 brachytherapy seeds

Theragenics Corporation, a medical device company serving the surgical products and prostate cancer treatment markets, today announced that it has signed an agreement with Oncura, Inc. for the distribution of TheraSeed® palladium-103 brachytherapy seeds. Oncura is a unit of GE Healthcare. Under the terms of the agreement, Theragenics will be the exclusive palladium-103 seed supplier to Oncura, subject to certain pre-existing vendor agreements, for the treatment of prostate cancer in the U.S. and Canada.

12 Jul 2010

Varian, Brainlab expand partnership to incorporate Novalis technology with TrueBeam STx system

Varian Medical Systems and Brainlab today announced the expansion of their partnership to incorporate Novalis technology and other Novalis Radiosurgery Program elements with the recently launched TrueBeam STx system. The expanded suite of products will be badged "Novalis powered by TrueBeam STx."

1 Jul 2010

Hoag Hospital launches IORT program for breast cancer treatment

Hoag Hospital announced the launch of its Intraoperative Radiation Therapy program as part of its progressive, comprehensive approach to breast cancer treatment. IORT is a radiation therapy technique in which a concentrated dose of radiation is delivered to a cancerous tumor site during surgery after the tumor is removed. Hoag Hospital is the first in Orange County to offer IORT brachytherapy for breast cancer as a component of a definitive treatment approach.

24 Jun 2010

IsoRay, Hologic complete exclusive worldwide distribution agreement for GliaSite radiation therapy system

IsoRay, Inc. announced today that it has completed a license agreement with Hologic, Inc. for exclusive worldwide distribution rights to the GliaSite® radiation therapy system, the world's only FDA-cleared balloon catheter device used in the treatment of brain cancer. The system's balloon catheter is a landmark technology that allows physicians to treat more patients than ever before with brachytherapy or internal radiation and provides important benefits over other radiation treatment options.

From Hologic, Inc. 23 Jun 2010

Optimum radiation dose on same day as brachytherapy implant can control prostate cancer

Ensuring the optimum radiation dose on the same day as the brachytherapy implant in prostate cancer treatment manages to control the illness in about 95% of the cases. This is the result of research undertaken at the University Hospital of Navarre and published in the latest issue of Brachytherapy, journal of the American Society of Brachytherapy.

23 Jun 2010

Al Amal Hospital in Qatar commences treatment with Varian's RapidArc radiotherapy

One of the leading cancer centers in the Middle East has become among the first in the region to introduce fast and efficient RapidArc® radiotherapy treatments from Varian Medical Systems. Al Amal Hospital in Doha, Qatar, has treated nine brain cancer, prostate cancer and head & neck cancer patients with RapidArc since commencing treatments in early May, and it now plans to roll out the technology for many more indications.

21 Jun 2010

Nineteen facilities named Centers of Excellence in APBI for use of SAVI applicator

Nineteen facilities in the Mid-Atlantic region have been named Centers of Excellence in accelerated partial breast irradiation for their use of the SAVI applicator, an advanced therapy for breast cancer as part of breast conservation therapy. The SAVI applicator can provide important advantages for women with early-stage breast cancer.

17 Jun 2010

Fortis International Oncology Centre equipped with Varian's advanced radiotherapy equipment

The first in a planned series of new radiotherapy centers aimed at improving access to advanced treatments for millions of Indian cancer patients has been officially opened in Noida. Fortis International Oncology Centre, a joint initiative between International Oncology and Fortis Healthcare, is equipped with advanced radiotherapy equipment and software from Varian Medical Systems.

16 Jun 2010

Brachytherapy News and Research

Further Reading

Surgery offers high survival rate for prostate cancer patients: Study

NYU Langone opens vascular-targeted photodynamic therapy trial to men with localized prostate cancer

Hybrid Linac-MR imaging system tracks cancer tumors in real time

John Theurer Cancer Center to acquire TrueBeam system for treating cancer patients

Three different methods for accurately measuring breast density

An overview of AAPM annual meeting

Philadelphia to host 52nd annual meeting of American Association of Physicists in Medicine

Premier, Xoft execute group purchasing contract

Varian adopts Varicent for administering Sales Performance Management needs

Oncura signs distribution agreement with Theragenics for palladium-103 brachytherapy seeds

Highlights of AAPM 52nd meeting

New study shows SAVI radiation therapy controls rate of breast cancer

Theragenics signs supply agreement with Oncura for TheraSeed palladium-103 brachytherapy seeds

Varian, Brainlab expand partnership to incorporate Novalis technology with TrueBeam STx system

Hoag Hospital launches IORT program for breast cancer treatment

IsoRay, Hologic complete exclusive worldwide distribution agreement for GliaSite radiation therapy system

Optimum radiation dose on same day as brachytherapy implant can control prostate cancer

Al Amal Hospital in Qatar commences treatment with Varian's RapidArc radiotherapy

Nineteen facilities named Centers of Excellence in APBI for use of SAVI applicator

Fortis International Oncology Centre equipped with Varian's advanced radiotherapy equipment

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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