Healthcare Industry News: tumor localization
News Release - March 17, 2010
First Installment of Calypso System in the United Kingdom at the Royal Marsden Hospital
Calypso System Tumor Tracking Technology Enables Precision-Guided Delivery During Radiation for Prostate Cancer at Leading Cancer CenterSEATTLE--(HSMN NewsFeed)--Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc., a developer of real-time localization technology used for the precise tracking of tumor targets, announced today that The Royal Marsden in London is the first cancer center in the United Kingdom to offer the Calypso® System to provide accurate, precise, real-time tumor tracking for patients undergoing external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer.
The Calypso System, with its GPS for the Body® technology, utilizes miniature implanted Beacon® transponders to provide precise, continuous information on the location of the tumor during external beam radiation therapy. Any movement by the patient, including internal movement of the tumor, may cause the radiation to miss its intended target and hit adjacent healthy tissue. In contrast to other tumor targeting solutions, the Calypso System provides real-time tumor position information, thereby allowing physicians to deliver radiation directly to the tumor while sparing the surrounding healthy organs from exposure.
“The Calypso System strengthens our state-of-the-art treatment and bolsters our ability to deliver the best care to patients,” said Professor David Dearnaley, M.D., Professor of Uro-Oncology and Honorary Consultant Clinical Oncologist at The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. “This innovative technology provides objective guidance for managing organ motion, which will enable our clinicians to ensure that radiation is delivered directly to the tumor site. This will reduce the dose to surrounding healthy tissue, which has been shown in our clinical practice to result in fewer and less severe side effects. In addition to the prostate, we are excited about applying the Calypso System to research additional body sites, such as the lung, where tumor motion makes treatment very challenging.”
“We are proud to join forces with The Royal Marsden to ensure accurate delivery of radiation for prostate cancer and to enhance patient care,” said Eric Meier, President and Chief Executive Officer at Calypso Medical. “This installation extends the availability of the Calypso System into the United Kingdom and expands our distribution of the Calypso System in Europe. More than 5,000 patients have already been treated with the Calypso System and this latest international expansion will help even more patients receive the benefits of GPS for the Body technology to guide their cancer radiation therapy treatments. In fact, a recent clinical study demonstrated that the Calypso System enabled planning target volume (PTV) margin reduction which resulted in improved outcomes for patients.¹”
The Royal Marsden opened its doors in 1851 as the world’s first hospital dedicated to cancer treatment, research and education. In that first year, doctors saw 693 patients. Today, The Royal Marsden sees more than 40,000 patients every year, from across the United Kingdom and abroad. As a leading specialist cancer centre, The Royal Marsden is internationally renowned for its ground-breaking work in patient care, researching new drug therapies and treatment.
About The Institute of Cancer Research
The Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) is Europe’s leading cancer research centre and has been ranked as the United Kingdom’s top academic research centre, based on the results of the Higher Education Funding Council’s Research Assessment Exercise. The ICR works closely with partner The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust to ensure patients immediately benefit from new research. Together the two organisations form the largest comprehensive cancer centre in Europe. The ICR has charitable status and relies on voluntary income, spending 95 pence in every pound of total income directly on research. As a college of the University of London, the ICR also provides postgraduate higher education of international distinction. Over its 100-year history, the ICR’s achievements include identifying the potential link between smoking and lung cancer, which was subsequently confirmed; discovering that DNA damage is the basic cause of cancer; and isolating more cancer-related genes than any other organisation in the world. For more information, visit www.icr.ac.uk.
About The Royal Marsden Hospital
The Royal Marsden opened its doors in 1851 as the world’s first hospital dedicated to cancer treatment, research and education. Today, together with its academic partner, The Institute of Cancer Research, it is the largest and most comprehensive cancer centre in Europe treating over 40,000 patients every year. It is a centre of excellence, and the only NHS Trust to achieve the highest possible ranking in the Healthcare Commission’s Annual Health Check for the third year in a row. Since 2004, the hospital’s charity, The Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign, has helped raise over £43 million to build theatres, diagnostic centres, and drug development units. For more information, visit www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk.
About Calypso Medical
Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc. is a Seattle-based, privately held medical device company. The Company’s proprietary tumor localization system utilizes miniaturized implanted devices (Beacon® electromagnetic transponders) to continuously, accurately and objectively track the location of tumors for improved accuracy and management of radiation therapy delivery. The technology is designed for body-wide cancers commonly treated with radiation therapy. The products are FDA 510(k) cleared for use in the prostate and post-operative prostatic bed. The Company has strategic relationships with Varian Medical Systems, Siemens Healthcare, Elekta Corporation and Philips Medical. Additional information can be found at www.calypsomedical.com.
¹ Reduction in Patient-reported Acute Morbidity in Prostate Cancer Patients Treated With 81-Gy Intensity-modulated Radiotherapy Using Reduced Planning Target Volume Margins and Electromagnetic Tracking: Assessing the Impact of Margin Reduction Study, Howard M. Sandler, Ping-Yu Liu, Rodney L. Dunn, David C. Khan, Scott E. Tropper, Martin G. Sanda, Constantine A. Mantz, Urology - 15 February 2010 (10.1016/j.urology.2009.10.072)
Source: Calypso Medical Technologies
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