ELEKTA WILL SUPPLY UC DAVIS CANCER CENTER RADIATION ONCOLOGY WITH THE NEXT GENERATION RADIATION TREATMENT SYSTEM
ELEKTA WILL SUPPLY UC DAVIS CANCER CENTER RADIATION ONCOLOGY WITH THENEXT GENERATION RADIATION TREATMENT SYSTEMCancer treatment center reinforces radiation oncology department withorder of Elekta Synergy(TM) system designed for greater accuracy andeffectiveness in treating tumorsThe University of California Davis Cancer Center, Radiation Oncology(Sacramento, Calif. USA), recently ordered an Elekta Synergy(TM) system,the world's first radiation treatment system with an integrated 3Dimaging system that will enable doctors to obtain cone beam CT images ofpatients just before their treatment. This capability will allowphysicians to visualize tumors at the point of treatment to moreprecisely target tumors with radiation beams. UC Davis's department ofradiation oncology will accept delivery of the Elekta Synergy(TM) in2004.UC Davis Cancer Center acquired Elekta Synergy(TM) to allow imaging ofpatients in the treatment position, according to Srinivasan Vijayakumar,M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology.Elekta Synergy(TM) system's ability to image the patient in thetreatment position is considered one of the most significantdevelopments in the last five years toward target-based radiotherapy.Elekta Synergy(TM), manufactured by Elekta, is the first traditionalmedical linear accelerator-based system capable of performing Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), a new treatment approach that relies onimages of anatomy and disease to guide radiation delivery precisely tothe tumor while sparing healthy tissues.Elekta is currently taking orders and installing Elekta Synergy(TM)linear accelerators at leading cancer clinics both in the United Statesand Europe.A new approach to radiation therapyTo determine the precise location of tumors and normal surroundingtissues, traditional radiotherapy calls for imaging studies to be doneseveral days before treatment."Doctors use these images to develop a treatment plan," Dr. Vijayakumarsays. "However, because tumors are likely to change shape or move in thepre-treatment period, we have to use a 'margin of error' and treat azone around the tumor that is larger than the tumor itself. Thisuncertainty about the tumor's exact position has always meant usinglower than desired radiation doses to avoid applying excessive doses tosurrounding normal tissues."Elekta Synergy(TM) will enable UC Davis Cancer Center radiationoncologists to obtain images just before treatment with the patient inthe exact position he or she will be treated in. This means not onlyless chance for errors in tumor targeting and in patient positioning,but also the ability to increase the dose to the tumor by virtue of morecertainty in the tumor's location. The goal is to improve the patient'squality of life and the chances for long-term survival.Elekta Synergy(TM) enhances advanced radiotherapy techniquesThe immediacy and accuracy of Elekta Synergy(TM) will be especiallyimportant for the new, highly targeted forms of radiotherapy, such asIntensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). Simply put, IMRT "paints"radiation doses of varying intensity on a tumor target - with higherdoses at the tumor center and steeply falling doses closer to thetumor's outer borders. This IMRT "dose distribution" is highlycustomized to the tumor's shape, resulting in the best possible balancebetween cancer killing and the sparing of nearby normal tissues andcritical organs. The main challenge in IMRT, however, has beenuncertainty about the tumor's precise location."In IMRT, it is vital to place the dose correctly - there's no advantageto IMRT if you can't precisely place the dose because you can'tvisualize the target," Dr. Vijayakumar says.The benefit of Elekta Synergy(TM) is that imaging the patient justbefore treatment allows delivery of IMRT with much greater accuracy andclinical confidence.The Elekta Synergy(TM) system at UC Davis Cancer Center should be readyfor clinical use in August 2004. It will be used for treatment ofprostate, lung, head and neck and gynecological cancers. An order for anElekta Synergy(TM) S system - the stereotactic extracranial version ofElekta Synergy(TM) - could come within the next 12-18 months.UC Davis Radiation Oncology becomes Elekta Center of DistinctionThe January 2004 Elekta Synergy(TM) system order follows UC Davis CancerCenter's acquisition of Elekta's Leksell Gamma Knife® C late last year.Leksell Gamma Knife® is the gold-standard stereotactic radiosurgerysystem for treatment of smaller intracranial lesions and abnormalities.The two acquisitions have made UC Davis Radiation Oncology an ElektaCenter of Distinction - which describes an Elekta customer that isuniquely positioned to showcase the complete line of Elekta products,including Leksell Gamma Knife®, Precise Treatment System(TM) digitalaccelerator, PrecisePLAN® treatment planning and Stereotactic BodyFrame®.Elekta is honored to be part of UC Davis Cancer Center's plans fortaking radiation therapy to the next level. It is also gratifying that aworld-renowned cancer treatment center such as UC Davis Cancer Centerappreciates the proven track record of Leksell Gamma Knife® C andrecognizes the tremendous potential of Elekta Synergy(TM) to improve thetreatment of serious disease. ****** For further information, please contact:International: Peter Ejemyr, Group VP Corporate Communications, Elekta AB (publ), Phone: +46 733 611 000, e-mail: peter.ejemyr@elekta.comUnited States: Lars Jonsteg, VP Investor Relations North America, Elekta, USAPhone: +1 770-670-2419, e-mail: lars.jonsteg@elekta.comAbout Elekta:Elekta is a world-leading supplier of advanced and innovative radiationoncology and neurosurgery solutions and services for precise treatmentof cancer and brain disorders. Elekta's solutions are clinicallyeffective, cost efficient and gentle to the patient.For additional information about Elekta, please visit www.elekta.comAbout UC Davis Medical CenterThe UC Davis Cancer Center is part of the UC Davis Medical Center, oneof five University of California teaching hospitals. As the onlyNational Cancer Institute-designated cancer center between San Franciscoand Portland, Ore. UC Davis Cancer Center is an integral part of thehealth and well-being of Northern Californians.------------------------------------------------------------This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.netThe following files are available for download:http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2004/03/24/20040324BIT00590/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2004/03/24/20040324BIT00590/wkr0002.pdf