Healthcare Industry News: cesium
News Release - July 20, 2007
Scientific Abstracts on Newest Isotope Used in Brachytherapy for Prostate Cancer -- IsoRay's Proxcelan(TM) with Cesium-131
Presented at the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Annual Conference, July 22-26RICHLAND, Wash.--(HSMN NewsFeed)--Noted medical researchers from around the country will gather at the 26th annual American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) conference in Minneapolis, MN, July 22-26, to present results of their studies focusing on Proxcelan(TM) with cesium-131. The abstracts illustrate the radiobiological characteristics and related dosimetric outcomes in treatment planning using Proxcelan(TM) with cesium-131 -- the newest isotope used in brachytherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer and the first breakthrough in more than 20 years.
These studies will add to the growing body of scientific research building for Proxcelan(TM) with cesium-131, a proprietary product of IsoRay Medical(TM) -- a wholly owned subsidiary of a public company, IsoRay, Inc. ("IsoRay") (AMEX:ISR ), based in Richland, WA.
(Proxcelan(TM) with cesium-131 will be spotlighted in booth #138 at AAPM.)
"Innovations are important to the future of medical care, and I believe that Proxcelan with cesium-131 represents one of the biggest advancements to come along in many years for prostate brachytherapy," said Bradley R. Prestidge, MD, President/CEO/Medical Director of the Texas Cancer Clinic in San Antonio, Texas.
A multi-institutional trial, with Dr. Prestidge as principal investigator, concluded earlier this year that low-dose (LDR) brachytherapy treatment using cesium-131 for prostate cancer "...has come into widespread use; and the clinical results of this trial are mature enough to be of immediate, important, practical use to practitioners."
"Several of the papers being presented at AAPM confirm earlier results regarding cesium-131's excellent dosimetric properties and applicability for prostate cancer," said IsoRay Medical Director Steven Kurtzman, M.D., Director of Brachytherapy for Western Radiation Oncology in San Mateo, California.
The four abstracts presented on Proxcelan(TM) with cesium-131 during the course of the five-day conference include:
"cesium-131 Prostate Brachytherapy and Treatment Plan Parameters"
Authors: Sutlief, S. & Wallner, K.
"Dosimetric Comparison of cesium-131 and Palladium-103 for Permanent Prostate Brachytherapy"
Author: Musmacher, J.
"Determination of TG-43 Parameters for Cs-131 Model CS-1R2 Seed Using Radiochromic EBT Film Dosimetry"
Author: Chiu-Tsau, S.
"Dosimetric Characterization of Model CS-1 cesium-131 Source by Thermoluminescence Dosimetry in Liquid Water"
Author: Tailor, R. & Ibbott, G.
Proxcelan(TM) with 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
Proxcelan(TM) with 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 Proxcelan(TM) with 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-103 and 204 days for Iodine-125. The short half-life of cesium-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 Proxcelan(TM) with 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)
AAPM is a scientific, educational, and professional organization of more than 5,000 medical physicists. The purposes of the association are to promote the application of physics to medicine and biology, encourage interest and training in medical physics and related fields.
For more information on the Proxcelan(TM) with cesium-131 cancer treatment breakthrough, visit www.cesium131.com.
Medicare / Medicaid
Medicare and Medicaid have established specific reimbursement codes for Proxcelan(TM) with cesium-131, for loose seeds and for stranded seeds, and 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 Proxcelan(TM) with cesium-131 brachytherapy seed, used to treat prostate and other cancers. The Proxcelan(TM) with 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 Proxcelan(TM) with cesium-131 seed, future production capabilities, development of protocols for the use of our Proxcelan(TM) with 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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