Access to cancer treatment gets major boost in Mexico
QUERETARO CITY, Mexico, March 23, 2020 – Elekta (EKTA-B.ST) today announced that San José Moscati Hospital has placed a significant order for advanced Elekta radiation therapy solutions, with Elekta Unity as the flagship. This will substantially reinforce the country’s radiotherapy capacity. The equipment will be installed in the new private hospital, which is currently under construction and will be the largest private hospital in Queretaro State, in the next 12 to 18 months.
The agreement comprises of a broad array of cancer treatment and radiotherapy support systems, including: Elekta Unity, Leksell Gamma Knife®, brachytherapy using Flexitron®, Versa HD™ linear accelerator and MOSAIQ® oncology information system. With this full-range, state-of-the-art radiotherapy setup, the hospital will offer patients the latest innovations in precision radiation medicine.
“The establishment of the hospital itself and the acquisition of such an inclusive range of sophisticated cancer treatment solutions is a big win, not just for cancer patients in Queretaro, but especially for patients throughout the entire country, including those in highly-populous nearby states that have limited or no access to radiotherapy,” says CP Enrique Borbolla García, general director of San José Moscati Hospital. “It means that Mexican cancer patients can receive world-class cancer treatment services much closer to home and at an accessible cost.
“Elekta is a natural partner in this effort,” he adds. “The company was very enthusiastic to collaborate with us and offered a full suite of radiotherapy solutions, and strong service and aftersales support.”
First MR-guided radiotherapy in Latin America
The centerpiece of San José Moscati Hospital’s radiotherapy department will be the Elekta Unity MR-Linac, a system designed for MR-guided adaptive radiotherapy and the first such system in Latin America.
With Elekta Unity, the combination of high-field MR imaging with linac-based radiation delivery provides, for the first time, the ability to see the tumor in real time while treatment is being delivered. Real-time imaging during treatment will enable the hospital’s clinicians to adapt radiotherapy to daily changes in tumor position, which may allow delivery of higher doses even while reducing exposure to healthy tissues and organs-at-risk.
“Elekta Unity will serve as a major differentiator for San José Moscati Hospital in all of Latin America,” Borbolla García says. “With the other advanced Elekta systems we’re acquiring, Unity will position our center as one of the highest-level cancer treatment providers worldwide.”
“San José Moscati Hospital will be a unique center in Latin America,” adds Javier Pastor, Elekta Vice President & General Manager, Mexico/Central America. “Not only will it be the most well-equipped center in the region, its full array of Elekta systems will also serve as a showcase for our capabilities in cancer care. It will be a magnet for cancer patients who have traditionally been underserved in terms of radiotherapy.”
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For further information, please contact:
Mattias Thorsson, Vice President, Corporate Communications
Tel: +46 70 865 8012, e-mail: Mattias.Thorsson@elekta.com
Time zone: CET: Central European Time
Raven Canzeri, Global Public Relations Manager
Tel: +1 770 670 2524, e-mail: Raven.Canzeri@elekta.com
Time zone: ET: Eastern Time
About Elekta
For almost five decades, Elekta has been a leader in precision radiation medicine. Our nearly 4,000 employees worldwide are committed to ensuring everyone in the world with cancer has access to – and benefits from – more precise, personalized radiotherapy treatments. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Elekta is listed on NASDAQ Stockholm Exchange. Visit elekta.com or follow @Elekta on Twitter.