STOCKHOLM, Sweden, July 16, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Elekta (Other OTC:EKTAF) once again is at the forefront of innovation by being the first commercial vendor to install and commission advanced linear accelerator systems with integrated treatment and X-ray volume imaging (XVI). This system, called Elekta Synergy(TM) has now enabled Netherlands Cancer Institute, a research partner of Elekta, to image and treat the first patients using this new image guided radiotherapy technology.
The Elekta Synergy(TM) system is an Elekta state of the art linear accelerator equipped with kV source and solid state detector to allow planar or X-ray volume imaging of the patient in the treatment position. This system was used at the Netherlands Cancer Institute at the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital (NKI/AvL) in Amsterdam to produce images of three patients on Wednesday 9 July 2003. Two of these were patients with cancer in the head and neck region, the other a patient with prostate cancer.
"I was very impressed with the first images from the head and neck patient as we could clearly see the normal anatomy and the extension of the tumour in three dimensions. Excellent images were obtained, particularly in the non-axial planes", says Professor Dr. Harry Bartelink, Head of the Radiotherapy Department at NKI/AvL. "These volume images will help us in the future to further improve our treatment possibilities for solid malignant tumours. We can now target the tumour more accurately using three dimensional volume imaging and closely follow the organ movement before and during treatment. This will allow us to further increase radiation dose to the tumour, aiming at a high cure rate and at the same time reducing normal tissue complications", Professor Dr. Bartelink concludes.
"The use of kilovoltage imaging at treatment time and in treatment position takes radiotherapy practice into a new era, that of accurate targeting of the tumor and surrounding critical structures. Adding the accuracy delivered by a 3-D volume image to the precision of advanced techniques such as IMRT could allow clinicians to introduce new clinical techniques that more aggressively target cancer," says Jill Stief, Product Manager, Elekta.
Elekta is a leading supplier of radiation oncology solutions for precise radiotherapy and Elekta works with leading institutions to make technology innovations into practical clinical solutions. The development of Elekta Synergy(TM) is another example of the close cooperation between Elekta and the radiation oncology community and Elekta Synergy(TM) is the outcome of collaboration between Elekta and four leading clinical institutions:
- Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Canada - William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan, USA - Christie Hospital, Manchester, UK - The Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The other three sites in the research consortium have a program to upgrade to the latest CE marked software and will move to clinical imaging in the near future.
The Elekta Synergy(TM) Research Group will now be focusing on refining the requirements to support the workflow associated with real-time imaging in radiotherapy. Elekta will incorporate these requirements into the product for global release of Elekta Synergy(TM), subject to clearance of submissions by respective regulatory agencies.
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 on the patient.
For further information, please contact:
Peter Ejemyr, Group VP Corporate Communications, Elekta AB (publ), tel. +46 733 611 000, e-mail: peter.ejemyr@elekta.com
More information about Elekta can be found at: www.elekta.com
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