Elekta
An estimated 72,000 healthcare professionals gathered at the Dubai World Trade Centre Jan. 23-26 for the 2012 Arab Health Congress and Exhibition. The meeting also provided the framework for the 2nd Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Cancer Therapy Conference.
During the exhibition, Elekta demonstrated advanced solutions ranging from conventional radiation therapy with Elekta Compact™* to stereotactic neurosurgery with Leksell Gamma Knife® Perfexion™, products that provide clinicians with the tools to save and improve the lives of individuals with cancer. In addition, for the first time at Arab Health, Elekta presented advanced brachytherapy solutions.
The theme of the Elekta exhibit was “Experience the Elekta Difference,” which emphasizes the company’s commitment to increasing the user’s clinical confidence by simplifying the variables in treatment planning, patient setup, verification and delivery.
“Elekta was honored to attend Arab Health once again as a Gold Sponsor for the 2nd Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Cancer Therapy Conference,” says Nabil Elias Romanos, Elekta’s Vice President, Eastern Europe and Middle East. “We enjoyed heavy booth traffic and were gratified by the interest in our entire product portfolio, including our brachytherapy solutions. Many of the discussions with hospital administrators and clinicians revolved around key partnerships in the regions, supported by education, training and clinical collaboration.”
In 2012, Elekta will increase its presence in the region, after having already expanded its Dubai office to better serve customers and partners.
Read more at: http://www.elekta.com/healthcare_international_press_release_20071332.php.
*Elekta Compact™ is not available for sale or distribution in all regions. Please contact your local Elekta representative or authorized distributor for further details.
Symmetry helps radiation oncologists at Riverside & University of Virginia Radiosurgery Center avoid excess dose to healthy tissues by isolating mobile tumors
In treatments of only the first handful of patients with lung or liver tumors, Riverside & University of Virginia Radiosurgery Center (Newport News, Va.) clinicians have demonstrated the dramatic benefit that Elekta’s Symmetry™ 4D image guidance technology can provide for patients whose tumors move with their breathing. Symmetry essentially yields a more distinct picture of the tumor, without the blurring associated with breathing motion.
By having a clearer picture of the tumor position and its motion, physicians have been able to improve their targeting of tumors, thereby avoiding having to treat a larger margin of healthy tissue around the lesion. A Symmetry scan is acquired just before treatment to ensure that the patient is correctly positioned, and to visualize tumor movement.
“Symmetry scans give us clearer information about the movement of the tumor, allowing us to increase the safety of treating our patients by decreasing the dose to healthy tissues, while hopefully providing a better clinical outcome,” according to Riverside medical physicist Kelly Spencer.
Tumor motion in sharper focus
Before they began using the Symmetry feature in Elekta’s XVI package of IGRT tools, Riverside clinicians were using sophisticated XVI 3D cone beam CT (VolumeView™ CBCT) imaging technology integrated with their Elekta Synergy® S to image tumors. These pre-treatment scans provide physicians with added confidence in the margins that they have planned. Although seeing a target with IGRT technology such as VolumeView has been a key clinical improvement, the motion still created a blur that encompassed the tumor’s range of motion.
“For our current protocol, we would create an ITV [internal target volume] to cover the blur we see on the VolumeView,” Spencer says. “We began using Symmetry on a couple of patients with lower lung lesions near the diaphragm where we would expect tumor motion to be an issue. We were actually quite mesmerized by the images Symmetry provided. We could clearly see the actual motion of the delineated tumor with respect to the patient’s breathing.”
The same Symmetry benefit applied to a recent patient with a liver tumor situated near the diaphragm. In this case, clinicians inferred tumor motion by observing the movement of the liver with the patient’s breathing.
“We wanted to use Symmetry to see how the superior border of the liver moved, and what we observed was that it did not move simply superior to inferior – there was almost a rolling pattern to the liver motion,” Spencer recalls. “We knew that the liver didn’t necessarily move symmetrically on CBCT scans, but it was harder to appreciate due to motion artifact. This movement probably varies between patients, so that is an excellent reason to use Symmetry to evaluate this motion on a case-by-case basis.”
*Approval of indications may vary between different countries. Additional regulatory clearances may be required in some markets.
2012 Future of Radiation Medicine
Thursday, March 15, 2012
1 – 6:30 p.m. • 6:30 – 8 p.m. Dinner
Four Seasons Hotel • Baltimore, MD
The 2012 Future of Radiation Medicine Symposium brings together the world’s leading authorities in radiation medicine to discuss the latest trends in radiotherapy. Radiation safety considerations in the clinic will be addressed, followed by a Q&A with presenters. To view a complete agenda with topics and speakers, or to register, please click here.
Who should attend?
The one-day symposium is designed for the entire cancer care team where you can earn AMA PR Category 1, CAMPEP, ASRT and MDCB educational credits.
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Radiation oncologists
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Medical oncologists
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Medical physicists
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Oncology nurses
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Radiation therapists
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Neurosurgeons
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Executives and administrators
Among oncology software products, customers ranked Elekta first for its MOSAIQ® Oncology Information System (OIS) in a survey by KLAS, an independent research firm. The recently released 2011 Best in KLAS Awards: Software & Services* report showed that MOSAIQ scored 79.1 out of 100 and 88 percent of customers indicated they would buy again. The report, which puts MOSAIQ at the top for 2011, is a summary of performance data collected over the past 12 months and ranks the top overall vendors, as well as leaders in each market segment.
The award will be presented to Elekta at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Conference & Exhibition in February 2012 in Las Vegas. Elekta experts, available at booth #1455 will be providing MOSAIQ demonstrations during the exhibition, highlighting the OIS’s unparalleled open systems and interface connectivity to the widest range of treatment planning, treatment delivery, LIS, brachytherapy systems and hospital information systems.
“We are enormously gratified that our customer respondents in the KLAS survey recognized the value of MOSAIQ for managing their patients’ care,” says Todd Powell, Executive Vice President, Elekta Software. “A continually evolving solution since 1992, MOSAIQ OIS was developed not only to streamline complex oncology workflows, but also to enable clinics to integrate vendor-neutral hardware and software as their needs change.”
More than 1,400 U.S. cancer treatment centers trust MOSAIQ to manage their patient information and provide unmatched connectivity to enterprise systems.
*2011 Best in KLAS Awards: Software & Services,” December, 2011. © 2011 KLAS Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved. www.KLASresearch.com
At a Capital Markets Day with focus on emerging markets, Elekta’s President and CEO, Tomas Puusepp, described how Elekta will build on its leading position in emerging markets. Elekta has a long-term commitment in making the highest standard of cancer care available to more patients throughout the world.
“We will continue to see a tremendous need for cancer care in these markets for many years to come,” Puusepp says. “By approaching them with a long-term commitment and by serving an increasing number of hospitals with advanced solutions within oncology and neurosurgery, including education and training, Elekta can contribute to making the most advanced cancer care available to more patients.”
He says that in addition to economic development, there are a number of aspects driving growth in emerging markets. These include an aging population with increasing cancer incidence and government-sponsored structural build out of health care. Puusepp says these are the prerequisites for sustainable growth, estimated to be 10-20 percent annually. He added that Elekta’s net sales in emerging markets is foreseen to increase from the current 30 percent to approximately 40 percent of Elekta’s total sales by 2015.
The recent acquisition of Nucletron, world-leader in brachytherapy, will contribute to Elekta’s growth. As well as extending the product offering, it brings new customers in emerging markets.
Gilbert Wai, Executive Vice President, Region Asia Pacific, says: “We have been established in China since 1982, and today Elekta is the country’s market leader. Seven of the ten leading clinics have Elekta equipment. We are committed to supplying our cancer care solutions in the build out of health care in the Asia Pacific region.”
Nabil Elias Romanos, Vice President, Eastern Europe and Middle East, says: “An unmet need of cancer care will continue to drive demand in Eastern Europe and Middle East. For example, in Russia, government-sponsored programs will provide radiation therapy equipment to an estimated 10-15 clinics each year. Elekta has supplied a number of the most prominent cancer care facilities in Russia with our linear accelerator systems and Leksell Gamma Knife®. We are delivering a complete range of solutions including education and training. Experts from Elekta support Russian medical physics students, contributing to their professional growth, knowledge and understanding of radiation therapy.”
Read more: http://tinyurl.com/6on57rk.
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 13.00 CET on December 12, 2011.
Perfexion and Elekta Infinity at top of customer rankings in report*
With a score of 94.4 out of 100, Elekta’s Leksell Gamma Knife® Perfexion™ is “practically perfect in every way,” ranking at the top among six advanced radiation therapy systems, according to KLAS research firm’s recently released customer survey, Radiation Therapy 2011: A Dose of New Technology. The Elekta Infinity™ radiation treatment system garnered the #2 ranking with a score of 84.4, improving its score over the 2010 report.
The 2011 KLAS report – the result of interviews with 213 U.S. provider organizations – referenced respondents’ regard for the Perfexion system’s technological sophistication, making “treating very complicated tumors in a difficult spot easy for providers,” and for the radiosurgery platform’s unprecedented uptime statistics. The report summarized customer opinion by noting: “The speed, accuracy, reliability, and sophistication of the treatments all came together for the Gamma Knife Perfexion to earn the highest score in the study by a 10-point margin.”
Gamma Knife® surgery is a gentler alternative to traditional brain surgery for illnesses such as metastatic disease – cancer that has traveled to the brain from elsewhere in the body. The system delivers thousands of low-intensity radiation beams to one or more targets in a single session. Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion provides even greater speed and ease of use than previous versions, especially for treating multiple metastases.
Read more at: http://www.elekta.com/healthcare_international_press_release_20071325.php.
*Radiation Therapy 2011: A Dose of New Technology, © November, 2011 KLAS Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Policy for the Processing of Personal Data
It is Elekta’s aim that all persons whose personal data is processed by Elekta shall at all times feel confident that the person’s privacy is respected and that due care is taken regarding his or her personal data.
Elekta will comply with national data protection laws that control the collection and use of data relating to individuals (personal data), such as the Swedish Data Protection Act (Personuppgiftslagen 1998:204).
During ASTRO, Elekta featured two solutions in particular that exemplify our focus on managing complexity: Clarity® with Autoscan* real-time soft tissue tracking and Identify™* radiofrequency identification (RFID) based solution. View the six minute demonstration by clicking on the banner.
Not able to attend ASTRO this year? Below are some quick highlights:
- Elekta welcomed Nucletron to the family. The acquisition agreement between Elekta and brachytherapy world leader, Nucletron, broadens Elekta’s product offering for patients with cervical, prostate, breast and rectal cancers.
- For the first year, the Medical Oncology Summit was held in conjunction with the Elekta Oncology Users Meeting.
- Following the Users Meeting, the Third Annual Charity Bash was held, raising USD 53,000 for the Sandy B. Muller Breast Cancer Foundation.
- Elekta presented how innovation and product development, as well as increased presence in fast growing emerging markets are the cornerstones of our growth strategy at the Investors Meeting during ASTRO.
Read more at: http://www.elekta.com/healthcare_international_eoum_and_astro.php?utm_source=ASTRO11&utm_medium=redirect&utm_campaign=redirects.
*Identify and the Autoscan component are works in progress and not available for sale or distribution in all markets.
At the 20th Annual Elekta Oncology Users Meeting (EOUM), Elekta highlighted our broad spectrum of solutions designed to simplify the complex processes involved in radiation therapy, inspiring confidence in healthcare professionals who use Elekta technology.
Held the Saturday before ASTRO, the EOUM was attended by approximately 950 customers and featured more than 50 educational sessions. View a few of the key presentations by clicking on the EOUM banner.
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Building a SBRT Program, Jonas Fontenot, Ph.D., DABR, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Baton Rouge, LA
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MOSAIQ® Mobile: EMR Everywhere, Wade Hatler, Director, Systems Architecture, Elekta Inc.
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Procedure Coding Efficiency: Using MOSAIQ Tools, Martha Hoey, Product Manager and Melisa Rivard, Product Manager
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Optimizing MOSAIQ: Getting the Most Out of Your Schedule , Michael Cretaro, CIO, Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York
Read more at: http://www.elekta.com/healthcare_international_eoum_and_astro.php?utm_source=ASTRO11&utm_medium=redirect&utm_campaign=redirects.
- Elekta high resolution, quick attach/detach MLC will facilitate more “on demand” stereotactic treatments
With its 2.5 mm leaf width across the largest field size (12 x 14 cm) and a convenient attach and detach mechanism, Elekta’s Apex™ DMLC is the right beam shaping solution for clinics that encounter cases in which a stereotactic approach is needed.
“Apex combines the right technical specifications with the ability to be rapidly attached and removed, making it the ideal solution for routine treatment of stereotactic cases throughout the day,” says Kevin Brown, Global Vice President, Scientific Research. “This DMLC also features low transmission, small penumbra and sharp dose gradients – all specifically to facilitate static and dynamic stereotactic treatments of head-and-neck targets.”
The Apex DMLC’s 112 leaves feature a dual focus design, which reduces the penumbra, thereby creating a steep dose fall off, and increasing the linearity across the whole field. To minimize transmission between leaf junctions, Apex was designed with a central axis tongue and groove leaf tip. The DMLC’s 2.5 mm leaf width across the entire 12 x 14 cm field size also improves conformance of the smallest head and neck targets by eliminating the stepping effect between leaf ends, which occurs with wider MLC leaves. In addition, full, independent interdigitation enables treatment of island fields or multiple targets in the same fraction.
The integrated attach and release mechanism of Apex creates a seamless interface to the integrated Elekta MLC radiation head. The new design allows the DMLC to be securely mounted and calibrated quickly and easily using the automated calibration procedure that is provided with the product.
Read more at: http://tinyurl.com/7b892m5
*Approval of indications may vary between different countries. Additional regulatory clearances may be required in some markets.
- Largest Neurosurgical Center in Russia Acquires Elekta’s Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion February 6, 2012Russia’s first Leksell Gamma Knife® Perfexion™ system has found a home at the renowned N.N. Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute, just a five-minute car ride from Moscow’s Red Square. On June 2, 2011, a 59-year-old woman was the first Perfexion patient, receiving Gamma Knife® radiosurgery to treat tumor tissue that remained following open surgery. Now, eight mon […]
- Largest Neurosurgical Center in Russia Acquires Elekta’s Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion February 6, 2012N.N. Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute improves treatment of patients with multiple metastasesRead more... […]
- SRT January 31, 2012Würzburg10-11 December - 2012 […]
- Mosaiq® - Electronic Medical Records January 31, 2012Mannheim26-27 November - 2012 […]
- IMRT / VMAT January 31, 2012Mannheim22-23 November - 2012 […]
- IGRT January 31, 2012Amsterdam16-17 November - 2012 […]
- SBRT January 31, 2012Wake Forest, North Carolina18-19 October - 2012 […]
- IGRT January 31, 2012Amsterdam29-30 June - 2012 […]
- IMRT / VMAT January 31, 2012Mannheim21-22 June - 2012 […]
- Mosaiq® - Electronic Medical Records January 31, 2012Mannheim18-19 June - 2012 […]