Healthcare Industry News: cesium
News Release - April 30, 2007
New Study Shows That Cesium-131 From IsoRay Medical(TM) Is an Effective, Well-Tolerated Brachytherapy Treatment for Prostate Cancer with Fewer Side Effects Than Other Medical Isotopes
Brian Moran, MD, Founder and Principal of the Chicago Prostate Cancer Center, Presents His Findings at the 28th American Brachytherapy Society Annual Meeting in ChicagoCHICAGO--(HSMN NewsFeed)--Brian Moran, MD, founder and principal of the Chicago Prostate Cancer Center (CPCC) presented the results of his two-year investigation into key characteristics of cesium-131 at the 28th American Brachytherapy Society Annual Meeting, held in Chicago April 29th through May 1, 2007. Dr. Moran concluded that the medical isotope is effective and well-tolerated in its use to kill cancer cells in low dose (LDR) brachytherapy therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer.
"Analysis of the patients we have treated using cesium-131 strongly suggest they experience more limited side effects that are also shorter in duration when compared to other isotopes," stated Dr. Moran. "We are a center of excellence, and we are constantly pursuing new ideas and technologies. cesium-131 has adapted well to our philosophy."
The study was one of several scientific presentations at the meeting that detailed new information about the safety and efficacy of cesium-131, a proprietary product of IsoRay Medical(TM). It is a wholly owned subsidiary of a public company, IsoRay, Inc. ("IsoRay") (AMEX:ISR ), based in Richland, WA. cesium-131 is the newest isotope used in brachytherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer, and the first breakthrough in more than 20 years.
Dr. Moran presented his study, called cesium-131 Prostate Brachytherapy: An Early Experience, to the physicians, physicists and others interested in brachytherapy who gathered from across the country to attend the meeting held at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers.
Study parameters and conclusion
Dr. Moran's study investigated the prostate specific antigen (PSA) response and acute side effects of patients undergoing low dose-rate, ultrasound-guided, transperineal prostate brachytherapy (PB) with cesium-131 seeds. It was conducted from November 2004 to November 2006 with 104 patients with a median age of 61.3 years (range 44-77 years).
The study concluded that "PB with cesium-131 is effective and well-tolerated; both PSA response and the acute morbidity profile are very encouraging."
Change in PSA is a key measure that physicians use to access response to treatment for prostate cancer.
"The findings of this important study correlate with the experiences of many cesium-131 patients," said IsoRay Medical Director Dr. Steven Kurtzman and a principal with the San Francisco Bay area Silicon Valley Urology Center. "They are able to return to normal activities quickly, and the lengths of normal side effects are minimized."
CPCC is one of the few centers in the United States dedicated solely to the treatment of prostate cancer using brachytherapy; and one of the busiest implant centers in the country with over 8,000 patient implants in nine years.
Founded in 1997, CPCC is a 35,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility located at 815 Pasquinelli Drive in Westmont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. For more information, visit www.prostateimplant.com.
cesium-131 offers patients unique advantages over other medical isotopes
Increasingly, prostate cancer patients and their doctors who decide on seed brachytherapy choose cesium-131 treatment because of its significant advantages over Palladium-103 and Iodine-125, two other isotopes currently in use. These advantages include:
Higher Energy
cesium-131 has a higher average energy than any other commonly used prostate brachytherapy isotope on the market. Energy is a key factor in how uniformly the radiation dose can be delivered throughout the prostate. This is known as homogeneity. Early studies demonstrate cesium-131 implants are able to deliver the required dose while maintaining good homogeneity across the gland itself and potentially reducing unnecessary dose to critical structures such as the urethra and rectum. (1)
Shorter Half-Life
cesium-131 has the shortest half-life of any prostate brachytherapy isotope at 9.7 days. cesium-131 delivers 90% of the prescribed dose to the prostate in just 33 days compared to 58 days for Palladium and 204 days for Iodine-125. The short half-life of Cs-131 reduces the duration of time during which the prostate receives the irritating effects of the radiation. Early studies demonstrate cesium-131 is well tolerated with minimal to moderate urinary symptoms that resolve relatively rapidly, within approximately 4-8 weeks. (1)
Higher Biologically Effective Dose
Another benefit to the short half-life of cesium-131 is what is known as the "biological effective dose" or BED. BED is a way for health care providers to predict how an isotope will perform against slow versus fast growing tumors. Studies have shown cesium-131 is able to deliver a higher BED across a wide range of tumor types than either Iodine-125 or Palladium-103. Although prostate cancer is typically viewed as a slow growing cancer it can present with aggressive features. cesium-131's higher BED may be particularly beneficial in such situations. (2)
For more information on the cesium-131 cancer treatment breakthrough, visit www.cesium131.com
Medicare / Medicaid
Medicare and Medicaid have established a specific reimbursement code for cesium-131, and most insurance companies also cover low-dose (LDR) seed brachytherapy.
FOOTNOTES:
(1) Prestidge B.R., Bice W.S., Jurkovic I., et al. cesium-131 Permanent Prostate Brachytherapy: An Initial Report. Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys. 2005: 63 (1) 5336-5337.
(2) Armpilia CI, Dale RG, Coles IP et al. The Determination of Radiobiologically Optimized Half-lives for Radionuclides Used in Permanent Brachytherapy Implants. Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys. 2003; 55 (2): 378-385.
About IsoRay
IsoRay, Inc., through its subsidiary, IsoRay Medical(TM), Inc., is the sole producer of the cesium-131 brachytherapy seed, used to treat prostate and other cancers. The cesium-131 seed offers a significantly shorter half-life than the two other isotopes commonly used for brachytherapy, which results in a substantially faster delivery of therapeutic radiation, lower probability of cancer cell survival and reduction of the longevity of common brachytherapy side effects. IsoRay is based in Richland, Washington. More information is available about IsoRay at www.isoray.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this news release about IsoRay's future expectations, including: the advantages of our cesium-131 seed, future production capabilities, development of protocols for the use of our cesium-131 seed to treat cancers other than prostate cancer, the level of market share our seed may attain, and all other statements in this release, other than historical facts, are forward-looking statements. It is important to note that actual results and ultimate corporate actions could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements based on such factors as physician acceptance, training and use of our products, our ability to successfully manufacture, market and sell our products, our ability to manufacture our products in sufficient quantities to meet demand within required delivery time periods while meeting our quality control standards, and our ability to enforce our intellectual property rights, and other risks detailed from time to time in IsoRay's reports filed with the SEC.
Source: IsoRay
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