Elekta and RTsafe sign agreement to distribute personalized stereotactic quality assurance solutions
STOCKHOLM, April 19, 2018 – Elekta (EKTA-B.ST) announced today that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with RTsafe to distribute innovative, 3D printed pseudo in-vivo phantoms and remote dosimetry services. The agreement with RTsafe will provide cancer centers an elegant quality assurance (QA) solution by elevating confidence in the end-to-end accuracy of stereotactic systems and create wider access to advanced stereotactic treatments for millions of patients.
“Worldwide demand for stereotactic treatments are increasing, especially among the 20 to 40 percent of cancer patients who will develop brain metastases. That could be as many as four million individuals needing stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) per year globally,” said Maurits Wolleswinkel, Head of Portfolio and Chief Strategy Officer at Elekta. “This collaboration aligns well with Elekta’s ongoing mission to simplify the delivery of very complex therapeutic treatment techniques through our leading flagship system Versa HD™ with High definition dynamic radiosurgery (HDRS).”
It has been established that SRS provides clear clinical benefits over whole brain radiation therapy* and less conformal modalities. High-dose, stereotactic treatments (SRT/SRS/SBRT) are potent alternatives to surgery for patients with cranial or extra-cranial cancers. However, using these therapies as a routine treatment method has been limited by clinicians’ desire for maximum end-to-end accuracy and confidence to quantify and account for systematic inaccuracies. Together, these can ensure optimal patient safety and treatment effectiveness.
RTsafe features the Pseudo-Patients™ line of phantoms that enable radiotherapy departments to obtain accurate end-to-end measurements for stereotactic commissioning. It does this by using a true 3D representation – phantoms using real patient CT data – instead of a single point source measurement. This is particularly important for high-dose, highly focused stereotactic techniques that demand extreme geometric and dosimetric accuracy in all phases of the treatment workflow; from imaging, treatment planning to patient set up, image guidance and treatment delivery.
“This agreement is an endorsement of our standing collaboration with Elekta. We have shown how advanced, end-to-end QA procedures play a critical role in the treatment efficiency of HDRS with Versa HD and Monaco®,” said Dr. Evangelos Pappas, founder and CEO of RTsafe. “Elekta has a versatile, linac-based stereotactic platform powered by HDRS. The trust that Elekta has placed in our RTsafe Quality Assurance approach is a testament to the innovation, determination and dedication of our team. We look forward to implementing this new collaboration with Elekta as we work towards our common goal of safer, more effective stereotactic radiotherapy and radiosurgery treatments for patients globally.”
RTsafe and Elekta recently coordinated a six-center consortium to measure end-to-end accuracy of Elekta’s Versa HD High definition radiosurgery solutions. To view the webinar, click here. Learn more about RTsafe at www.rt-safe.com.
* Radiosurgery alone is associated with favorable outcomes for brain metastases from small-cell lung cancer, Robin, Tyler P. et al., Lung Cancer , Volume 120 , 88 - 90
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For further information, please contact:
Tobias Bülow, Director Financial Communications, Elekta AB
Tel: +46 722 215 017, e-mail: [email protected]
Time zone: CET: Central European Time
Michelle Joiner, Director, Global Media Relations
Tel: +1 770 670 2447, e-mail: [email protected]
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