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 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

CFDA clears Elekta's Versa HD radiation therapy system

Following US and European approvals of Elekta's Versa HD™ linear accelerator, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) has cleared the radiation therapy system for sale and marketing in the country.

From Elekta 30 Sep 2014

Researchers test novel robotic system to improve prostate cancer biopsies

A novel robotic system that can operate inside the bore of an MRI scanner is currently being tested as part of a biomedical research partnership program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston with the aim of determining if the robot, in conjunction with real-time MRI images, can make prostate cancer biopsies faster, more accurate, less costly, and less discomforting for the patient.

22 Sep 2014

Photoelectric therapy for non-melanoma skin cancer developed by Xstrahl

With a presence in over 500 clinics around the world, Xstrahl have drawn upon their vast clinical expertise to develop a revolutionary system that has been specifically designed for the treatment superficial skin cancers and skin conditions.

From Xstrahl 18 Sep 2014

Study reveals treatment trends for prostate cancer in Japan

There has been a recent increase in use of radiotherapy in Japanese men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer and a concomitant decrease in use of androgen deprivation therapy, study findings indicate.

18 Aug 2014

Seven physicians receive ASTRO grants to advance radiation oncology research

The American Society for Radiation Oncology has selected seven leading physicians to receive a total of $675,000 in awards and grants to advance radiation oncology research. The ASTRO Junior Faculty Career Research Training Award, the ASTRO Residents/Fellows in Radiation Oncology Research Seed Grant and the ASTRO/Radiation Oncology Institute Comparative Effectiveness Research Award will fund studies in radiation and cancer biology, radiation physics, translational research, outcomes/health services research and comparative effectiveness research within radiation oncology.

12 Aug 2014

Varian receives 510(k) clearance from FDA for Calypso soft tissue Beacon transponder

Varian Medical Systems today announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a Calypso® soft tissue Beacon® transponder that can help enhance the precision of radiotherapy and radiosurgery treatments for cancer.

21 Jul 2014

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