Healthcare Industry News: electron-beam
News Release - February 22, 2006
IORT Boosts Survival Rates For Patients with Advanced Rectal Cancer
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(HSMN NewsFeed)--Feb. 22, 2006--The benefits of Intraop Medical Corporation's (OTCBB: IOPM ) Mobetron® mobile electron-beam system continues to receive clinical validation. A recent study involved 651 men and women with locally advanced rectal cancer who received intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) as part of their treatment. The results indicated excellent overall survival rates and tumor control for this hard-to-treat patient group.The results of this study showed substantial benefit when IORT complements standard treatments. Patients treated with IORT in addition to the standard treatment experienced substantial improvements in survival rates and had fewer tumor recurrences. Five year overall survival rates jumped to 67% and ten year survival rates rose to 46% while five and ten year tumor-control rates climbed to 88% and 86% respectively.
The study's principal investigator, Dr. Harm Rutten, Chief of Surgery at Catharina Zeikenhuis in Eindhoven, Holland, commented: "These results are truly exceptional. As a surgeon who treats many patients with this advanced disease, it is gratifying to have a tool that can help these patients and save their lives."
This extensive study of locally advanced rectal cancer patients -- conducted by four major European referral centers, all members of the International Society of IORT-Europe (ISIORT-Europe) -- is the largest ever reported in the medical literature, and the largest ever involving IORT. It represents the second pooled analysis by the ISIORT-Europe on the clinical outcome of IORT treatments.
"Since tumor control with IORT is so dramatically improved, this is a most important study that represents a triple-win -- a win for the patient, a win for their doctor and a major win for cost-effective healthcare," said Dr. Goer. "We believe this study strengthens the evidence that IORT and the Mobetron present us with a major advance in cancer treatment."
Dr. Harm Rutten, Chairman of Surgery at Catharina Ziekenhuis in Eindhoven, presented the results of this study in Berlin at the European Colorectal Cancer Congress. In the months ahead the ISIORT-Europe is planning to present the results of IORT on other tumor sites. As analyses become available, they will be posted on the ISIORT web site: www.isiort.org
About Intraop Medical Corporation
Intraop Medical Corporation improves the quality of life for cancer patients through the development, manufacturing and sales of its proprietary Mobetron system. The Mobetron is a mobile electron-beam accelerator designed exclusively for intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT), the direct application of radiation to a tumor while a patient is undergoing cancer surgery. The system makes IORT widely available, cost effective, and simple to deliver because it is easily transportable between operating rooms and does not require a cost-prohibitive, radiation shielded surgical suite. The system is FDA-certified for sale in the United States and has received the equivalent foreign approvals: CE Mark in Europe, JIS in Japan and SDA in China. Intraop Medical Corporation is based in Sunnyvale, California. For more information please visit www.intraopmedical.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the 1933 Securities Act and Section 21E of the 1934 Securities Exchange Act. Actual results could differ materially, as the result of such factors as competition in the markets for the company's products and services and the ability of the Company to execute its plans. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company can give no assurances that transactions described in this press release will be successfully completed, and undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this press release.
Source: Intraop Medical
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