Elekta launches Geneva brachytherapy applicator for precise treatment of gynecological cancers

VEENENDAAL, the Netherlands, April 23, 2020 – Elekta (EKTA-B.ST) today announced the launch of Geneva, the first universal gynecological applicator for brachytherapy. Geneva was developed using Elekta’s “outside-in” approach, in which products and solutions are designed to meet the real-world needs of those on the front-line of cancer therapy. Geneva offers an adaptable solution that will accommodate most female pelvic anatomies. It can be assembled and ready for use in only four clicks, making it the applicator of choice for all cancer centers providing gynecological brachytherapy. 

Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy in which a radioactive source is briefly placed very close to or even in the tumor. Brachytherapy has been shown to significantly increase overall survival in patients with cervical cancer when administered following external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), compared with EBRT alone.¹ International clinical guidelines reflect this. Despite its proven benefits, gynecological brachytherapy is underutilized. One of the reasons for this is the learning curve for new physicians in both mature and emerging economies. Geneva offers unsurpassed ease of use and adaptability to lower this learning curve, with a modular format that easily allows therapy to be tailored to each patient’s unique pelvic anatomy. 

“Care centers often need to choose between purchasing one or two applicators that may not meet the needs of all patients or making significant investments in multiple applicators in order to have the ability to tailor therapy to specific anatomies,” said Guanghui Cheng, MD, PhD, Head of Department of Radiation Oncology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China. “Geneva offers improvements compared with other applicators that make it easier and more convenient to operate. It also provides new options for patients with smaller anatomies, which may help make brachytherapy more available to the most patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.”

“Elekta is committed to innovating novel solutions that make precision radiation medicine broadly available and easy to administer, and Geneva is the latest example of this philosophy,” said John Lapré, President, Elekta Brachytherapy Solutions. “In 2017 we launched Venezia™ as a gynecological applicator that made brachytherapy easier to deliver to patients with advanced cervical cancer. Geneva, the first universal gynecological applicator, builds on that innovation and provides unsurpassed flexibility to personalize brachytherapy for women with stage I through stage IIB disease. We believe that Geneva will allow more patients with cervical cancer to receive brachytherapy, which has a demonstrated survival benefit.”

For more information, visit elekta.com/Geneva.

¹Han K et al. Int J Radiation Oncol Biol Phys 2013; 87:111-119.

Geneva has CE Mark, is U.S. FDA 510(k) pending and limited global market access.

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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.