Bolivian government invests in state-of-the-art cancer care from Elekta
ATLANTA, February 21, 2018 – Bolivia is the most recent of a number of South American countries to invest in new and upgraded radiotherapy and radiosurgery systems as well as software from Elekta (EKTA-B.ST). The order for six Elekta Synergy® linear accelerators (linacs) and brachytherapy afterloaders was booked in the fourth quarter of Elekta’s 2017/18 fiscal year.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 1.7 million new cases and 1 million cancer deaths in South America are expected by 2030. Latin America has one of the highest indications of gynecological cancer in the world and prostate and breast cancer are on the rise in the region.
In an effort to meet this cancer challenge, the Bolivian Government issued a public tender for linacs and brachytherapy equipment. Elekta won the order through its distributor in Argentina, INVAP, and will deliver the linacs and brachytherapy afterloaders to the cities of La Paz, El Alto and Santa Cruz. The oncology departments in the three centers will be connected using Elekta’s MOSAIQ® oncology information system and each clinic will benefit from Elekta’s Monaco® treatment planning system. The Bolivian order also includes Elekta’s Flexitron® remote afterloading platform for brachytherapy delivery, an essential component in the treatment of gynecologic cancers.
Peter Gaccione, Executive Vice President, Region North America and Latin America, says: “There is a significant need for high-quality, cost-efficient cancer care in South America. With the order in Bolivia, and another in Brazil for several Elekta Versa HD™ systems and Leksell Gamma Knife radiosurgery, we’re delighted that the region’s patients will have access to the best care possible.”
The agreement in Bolivia follows a number of investments made in other South American countries last year. In January 2018, Brazil received its first shipment of a comprehensive suite of Elekta solutions, including Leksell Gamma Knife® Perfexion™, the only radiosurgery device designed and dedicated to the brain, Versa HD linacs, as well as Monaco stations and MOSAIQ oncology information systems.
Chile’s Carlos Van Buren Hospital is the first in the country to acquire Versa HD and related software, which will replace competing systems. It expects to treat patients in March 2018.
Having won a tender in 2017 to deliver new linacs and related software to Peru’s National Institute of Neoplastic Diseases, Elekta has begun installation of the equipment and the first patients will be treated by April 2018.
To learn more about these solutions, visit elekta.com.
# # #
For further information, please contact:
Oskar Bosson, Global EVP Corporate Communications and Investor Relations
Tel: +46 70 410 7180, e-mail: Oskar.Bosson@elekta.com
Time zone: CET: Central European Time
Michelle Joiner, Director, Global Media Relations
Tel: +1 770 670 2447, e-mail: michelle.joiner@elekta.com
Time zone: ET: Eastern Time
About Elekta
Elekta is proud to be the leading innovator of equipment and software used to improve, prolong and save the lives of people with cancer and brain disorders. Our advanced, effective solutions are created in collaboration with customers, and more than 6,000 hospitals worldwide rely on Elekta technology. Our treatment solutions and oncology informatics portfolios are designed to enhance the delivery of radiation therapy, radiosurgery and brachytherapy, and to drive cost efficiency in clinical workflows. Elekta employs 3,600 people around the world. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Elekta is listed on NASDAQ Stockholm. www.elekta.com