NASHUA, N.H.–(BUSINESS
WIRE)–iCAD, Inc. (Nasdaq: ICAD), an industry-leading provider of
advanced image analysis, workflow solutions and radiation therapy for the early identification and
treatment of cancer, announced the first European patients have been treated
with the Xoft Axxent® Electronic Brachytherapy System®.
Pius-Hospital Oldenburg in Oldenburg, Germany, and Hospital CUF Porto, Portugal, are
the first to use the Xoft system in Europe for
treating early stage breast cancer. This announcement was made during ESTRO, the annual meeting of the European Society for
Radiotherapy & Oncology, taking place May 9-13 in Barcelona, Spain,
where iCAD is showcasing the Xoft system.
“The installations of our Xoft radiation therapy system in Germany and Portugal reflect ongoing international
progress as we expand our Xoft business into the European oncology market,”
said Ken Ferry, President and CEO of iCAD. “There is growing global interest in
Intraoperative Radiation Therapy among radiation
oncologists who want to offer patients advanced radiation therapy treatment
options that minimize radiation exposure and can be completed in shorter
timeframes.”
iCAD’s Xoft system utilizes electronic brachytherapy (eBx®), a type of radiotherapy
that employs a miniaturized X-ray source to apply radiation directly to the
cancerous site. eBx targets the radiation dose to the size and shape of the
cancerous area, minimizing radiation to healthy tissue and organs. The Xoft
system can also be used for IORT, which delivers a single prescribed, targeted
dose of radiation during surgery directly to the tumor cavity.
“Pius-Hospital Oldenburg is committed to providing
cutting-edge treatment options in oncology, such as IORT, and we are excited to
be the first hospital in Europe to offer the Xoft system to our patients with
early stage breast cancer,” said Professor Dr. Rudy Leon De Wilde, Medical
Director at Pius-Hospital Oldenburg.
“Hospital CUF Porto, is thrilled to be the first center in Portugal to
offer breast cancer patients the option of partial breast irradiation during
surgery with the Xoft system,” said Fleming Oliveira, MD, Head Surgeon and
Breast Team Coordinator. “Historically, radiation therapy for breast cancer has
required weeks of daily treatments, which can be a burden on the patient’s life
and, in some cases, affect the patient’s ability to comply with the treatment.
With the Xoft system, patients are treated with a full course of radiation
immediately following a lumpectomy procedure, allowing patients to get back to
their normal routine and active lifestyles more quickly.”
iCAD’s Xoft system is an isotope-free radiation treatment
that can be used in virtually any clinical setting (including the operating
room where IORT is delivered) under radiation oncology supervision. The Xoft
system is also approved for accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI),
which can be delivered twice daily for five days. The system is relatively
small in size, highly mobile, and does not require a shielded environment,
allowing the physician to remain in the room during treatment.
The Xoft system received CE Mark Approval in 2010, which
permits sales and marketing of the system throughout the European Union. The
Xoft system is also cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the
treatment of conditions where radiation is indicated, including early stage
breast cancer, skin cancer, and endometrial cancer.
About Pius-Hospital Oldenburg
Pius-Hospital, originally founded in 1871 in the heart of a picturesque
medieval walled city, has now become the largest Catholic hospital in Northwest Germany. The radiation therapy clinic forms
part of one of the three largest breast cancer centers of excellence in Germany. It
collaborates extensively in areas of research with the Carl von Ossietzky
University and the University
of Groningen. Multi-award
winning Prof. Dr. De Wilde, Director of the Gynecology department and also
Medical Director of the hospital, is both nationally and internationally
renowned as a pioneer of minimally invasive treatments to preserve the tissue
and organ function in breast and womb. In excess of 2,500 patients are treated
in his department each year.
About Hospital CUF Porto
Hospital CUF Porto, opened less than two years ago, was built as a new health
concept integrating a private health campus. Hospital CUF Porto provides highly
differentiated medical care with the most experienced medical teams in northern
Portugal
along with cutting-edge technologies. Since 2008, the radiation oncology
department has been located in a separate section of the campus. Equipped with
the latest technology both in external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy, the
hospital provides radiation treatment solutions to 500 new patients every year.
Currently the hospital has several investigative research projects underway
with the Portuguese Catholic University
as well as the Portuguese Technological and Nuclear Institute in Lisbon. Dr. Paulo Costa
(Director of the Radiation Oncology Department) and Dr. Fleming Oliveira (Head
Surgeon and Breast Team Coordinator), both continuously search for pioneering
breast cancer therapies in order to provide the full range of therapeutic
solutions in breast cancer management.
About iCAD, Inc.
iCAD is an industry-leading provider of Computer-Aided Detection (CAD)
technologies, advanced image analysis, workflow solutions and radiation
therapies for the early identification and treatment of common cancers. iCAD
offers a comprehensive range of high-performance, upgradeable CAD solutions for
mammography and advanced image analysis and workflow solutions for Magnetic
Resonance Imaging, for breast and prostate cancers and Computed Tomography for
colorectal cancer. iCAD’s Xoft system, offers radiation treatment for
early-stage breast cancer that can be administered in the form of
intraoperative radiation therapy or accelerated partial breast irradiation. The
Xoft system is also cleared for the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer and
endometrial cancer. For more information, call (877) iCADnow, or visit www.icadmed.com.