New Clarity Soft Tissue Visualization Software Neutralizes Organ Motion Challenges During Prostate Cancer Radiotherapy

Elekta receives FDA 510(k) clearance for Clarity 4D Monitoring
Stockholm, December 17, 2012 – Elekta has received 510(k) clearance for its
Clarity® 4D Monitoring software, enabling U.S. medical centers to implement this
new way of reducing the uncertainty caused by prostate motion during radiation
treatment. Physicians will be able to monitor the motion of the prostate and
surrounding tissues and organs – in real-time and with sub-millimeter accuracy –
during the delivery of therapeutic radiation beams.

The ability to continuously visualize the prostate’s precise location constantly
during treatment is especially important for clinicians pursuing advanced
prostate protocols, such as reduced margin hypofractionated therapy or advanced
stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR).

“What makes 4D monitoring with Clarity a possible ‘game-changer’ is that it’s
simple, inexpensive, and will enable real time continuous monitoring of the
prostate – increasingly critical as we consider techniques such as
hypofractionation, which entails treating patients in shorter therapy courses,
but with longer individual treatments,” says James Wallace, MD, radiation
oncologist at Fletcher Allen Health Care (Burlington, VT, US). “We know that the
prostate moves during these prolonged treatments and we are going to have to
account for it in some way. The capability to observe the prostate from the
beginning of the fraction to the end will be incredibly powerful. We will
integrate 4D monitoring with Clarity into our clinical practice as soon as we
can.”

Dr. Wallace also observes that the image quality of Clarity ultrasound is
exceptional.

“It’s remarkably clear compared to other ultrasound technology and in our
experience comparable to MRI in terms of our ability to identify structures in
the lower pelvis,” he notes. “In comparison to other systems, 4D monitoring with
Clarity will not only be more cost-efficient, but patient acceptance will also
be higher. Telling patients that we have a new way to track their prostate
without sticking a needle through the rectum will make them pretty happy. This
is unbelievably great technology.”

The capability to image anatomy during treatment could provide other advantages
as well, according to Di Yan, DSc, chief physicist at William Beaumont Hospital
(Royal Oak, MI, US).

"We have been interested in developing methods for adaptive therapy for a while
now,” he says. “The missing link has been the anatomical information from a
continuous imaging source. Clarity 4D Monitoring with an Autoscan probe has
great potential to provide that missing link.”

Continuous target visualization
4D monitoring of the prostate with Clarity during treatment offers continuous
tracking of the target and imaging of the surrounding anatomy, including the
bladder, rectum and penile bulb, the latter thought to be responsible for
erectile function. Clearly visualizing these structures during treatment could
enable clinicians to create plans with tighter margins around intended targets,
thereby minimizing radiation exposure to healthy tissue.

Clarity 4D Monitoring uses Autoscan acquisition technology, which robotically
acquires live transperineal ultrasound images of soft tissue anatomy from the
linear accelerator control area. This is a comfortable, non-invasive imaging
procedure that does not involve any extra radiation dose and does not require
the use of implanted markers.

Learn more at www.elekta.com/clarity.

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For further information, please contact:
Johan Andersson Melbi, Director, Investor Relations, Elekta AB
Tel: +46 702 100 451, email: johan.anderssonmelbi@elekta.com
Time zone: CET: Central European Time

Michelle Joiner, Director, Global Public Relations and Brand Management, Elekta
Tel: +1 770-670-2447, email: michelle.joiner@elekta.com
Time zone: ET: Eastern Time

The above information is such that Elekta AB (publ) shall make public in
accordance with the Securities Market Act and/or the Financial Instruments
Trading Act. The information was published at 07:30 CET on December 17, 2012.


About Elekta
Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical
solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops
sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems for
radiation therapy, radiosurgery and brachytherapy, as well as workflow enhancing
software systems across the spectrum of cancer care. Stretching the boundaries
of science and technology, providing intelligent and resource-efficient
solutions that offer confidence to both healthcare providers and patients,
Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save patient lives.

Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 6,000
hospitals worldwide. Elekta employs around 3,400 employees globally. The
corporate headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is
listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker EKTAb. Website: www.elekta.com.