STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Oct. 22, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Exciting data presented today at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting, demonstrate the enormous potential for the new Elekta Synergy(TM) system to significantly advance radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients. One in three people will develop cancer in their lifetime and four out of ten cancer patients will receive radiotherapy as part of their treatment. Radiation is directed at a patient's tumour in order to kill cancerous cells, however, radiation can also affect surrounding healthy cells if it is not directed exactly. Traditionally, a scanned image is taken prior to treatment to identify the exact location of the cancer tumour. However, an enlarged radiation field is often used to account for the uncertainty of the tumours' position. This uncertainty can be due to a number of causes:
- The accuracy with which the patient can be positioned on the therapy machine.
- Movement within the body (e.g. movement caused by breathing).
- Changes between the time of scan and actual treatment.
The data presented by Dr. Mark Oldham, Staff Physicist and Daniel Letourneau from William Beaumont Hospital, Michigan, USA, show that by combining an X-ray volume imaging system and radiotherapy equipment (a medical accelerator) to provide 'real time' images of the tumour during treatment, the image quality and treatment accuracy is significantly improved.(ref:1,2) A preliminary study for prostate cancer treatment indicated that it would be possible to attain a planning target volume margin expansion less than 5mm compared to a conventional 10mm margin (within a 20 minute treatment slot).(ref:1)
Mark Oldham said, "Integrated imaging and treatment provides a significant opportunity to improve the practice of radiation therapy and enhance the outlook for cancer patients. The data presented at ASTRO, together with previous data suggests that the introduction of Elekta Synergy(TM) will be well received by radiation oncologists and patients alike."
The data presented at ASTRO further supports encouraging data presented at the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO), which reports on the clinical use of Elekta Synergy(TM), describing it as having enormous potential for image-guided radiotherapy and being the current state-of-the-art in image acquisition, reconstruction and processing.(ref:3,4) Key findings from the data showed:
- Using repeat scans to account for tumour position and movement resulted in the reduction of systematic errors from 0.4-1.3cm (SD) to 0.2-0.6cm (SD).
- A further reduction in systematic errors to 0.1-0.3cm (SD) was obtained by treating patients with a small day-to-day variation (Less than 1cm SD) with adaptive radiotherapy and all remaining patients with image-guided radiotherapy.
Additional data presented at ESTRO demonstrate that online (simultaneous) imaging and adaptation of a treatment plan to the actual shape and position of the target volume (tumour) will improve the outcome in specific cancer radiotherapy treatment cases.(ref:5)
The success of Elekta Synergy(TM) has been brought about through close collaboration between Elekta and the following research sites:
- Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Canada . William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan, USA . Christie Hospital, Manchester, UK
- The Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Volker Stieber, Elekta Executive Vice President -- Technology Development & Operations, acknowledged the aptness of the new product's name, "Synergy is defined as two or more entities working together, wherein the sum is greater than each individual's contribution. Elekta Synergy(TM) adds dedicated imaging technology to a proven treatment platform, creating a system that is truly more than the sum of its parts."
Elekta Synergy(TM) system is pending 510(k) pre-market clearance and is not currently available for sale or distribution in the USA.
Notes to editors:
- For further information regarding Elekta Synergy(TM) and other Elekta products, please visit www.elekta.com
- Images of Elekta Synergy(TM) can be accessed at the following website address: www.elekta.com/investors
About Elekta: Elekta is a world-leading supplier of advanced and innovative radiation oncology and neurosurgery solutions and services for precise treatment of cancer and brain disorders. Elekta's solutions are clinically effective, cost efficient and gentle to the patient.
References:
1. Oldham M, et al. Online volumetric CT-guided radiation therapy. Abstract 101. American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Annual Meeting, October 2003.
2. Letourneau D, et al. Implementation of an on-board kilovoltage cone-beam CT imaging system for clinical applications. Abstract 102. American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Annual Meeting 2003.
3. Sonke J, et al. Image quality of a cone beam CT system for image guided radiotherapy. Oral presentation, abstract 66. European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Annual Meeting, September 2003.
4. van Herk M, et al. Clinical implementation of cone-beam CT guided radiotherapy. Oral presentation, abstract 27. European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Annual Meeting, September 2003.
5. Remeijer M, et al. CT imaging for RT: Is one scan sufficient? Poster presentation, abstract 19. European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Annual Meeting, September 2003.
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