Cancer treatment website receives Health On the Net seal of approval

May 19 2011  |  Press release 

Aboutbrachytherapy.com certified as a provider of trustworthy health information 

Veenendaal, the Netherlands (19 May 2011) – Nucletron, a leading provider of state-of-the-art radiotherapy solutions for cancer treatment, have announced that their educational website, http://www.aboutbrachytherapy.com/ has received The Health On the Net Foundation (HON) seal of approval for providing useful and reliable online health information. http://www.aboutbrachytherapy.com/ was established last year to help increase awareness among cancer patients about brachytherapy, a very precise and highly effective form of radiotherapy to treat cancer.

“Aboutbrachytherapy.com is a phenomenal resource that I use for each and every consultation with my patients,” said Dr Rakesh Patel, Director, Targeted Radiation Institute at Western Radiation Oncology (WRO), San Francisco Bay area, USA, and Chairman of the American Brachytherapy Society. “As a subspecialized radiation oncologist, I know that the information on the site is reliable and evidence-based, but the HON certification gives members of the public, looking for information about advanced cancer treatment options online, confidence that what they read on aboutbrachytherapy.com is trustworthy.  As a health care provider, improving quality and access to state-of-the-art treatment remains a top priority.” 

According to research, 75% of  patients with cancer have never heard of brachytherapy - a state-of-the-art technology that brings the radiation dose directly to the target cancer area, avoiding damage to healthy tissues and organs and minimising side effects.  Of those 25% who are aware, only one in four have been offered the  treatment.  This is why Nucletron developed http://www.aboutbrachytherapy.com/ as an accessible resource that provides balanced and informative information about brachytherapy, to help cancer patients make informed treatment choices in partnership with their doctors.

“We are delighted that The Health On the Net Foundation have certified http://www.aboutbrachytherapy.com/ as it is an important milestone in our commitment to supporting health care professionals in improving patient care.” said Dr Jonathan Briers, Vice President, Medical Affairs at Nucletron “Three out of four cancer patients still haven’t heard about brachytherapy, but we know that many of these patients are active online and searching for valid information about their condition and treatment options.  With the HON seal of approval, patients and their families know that the site respects ethical standards and they can trust information on http://www.aboutbrachytherapy.com/ and go on to have informed discussions with their doctors. At the end of the day, it’s about patients being empowered to make informed choices, especially when faced with beating cancer.”

Compared to other forms of radiotherapy like external beam (EBRT), brachytherapy can deliver the required dose of radiation over a significantly shortened treatment time.  In treating prostate cancer, for example, normal treatment times that can take up to seven weeks with EBRT take only one or two days with brachytherapy. In breast cancer, new techniques can reduce the time needed for radiotherapy after a lumpectomy from several weeks to 5 days.  Additionally, the precise delivery of radiation reduces the risk of unnecessary damage to surrounding healthy tissue and organs which can help reduce side effects.  For example, in endometrial cancer (cancer of the womb), the risk of gastrointestinal side effects is lower with brachytherapy than with EBRT, and again in prostate cancer the risk of side effects like incontinence and erectile dysfunction is lower than with other treatment options. These factors minimise disruption to patients and their quality of life, and allow a faster return to everyday life.

Created in 1995, HON is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, accredited to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations

References
- Stewart AJ & Jones B. In Devlin Brachytherapy: Applications and techniques. 2007.
- ICM market research, based on a pool of 598 online surveys completed by current or past cancer patients in the UK, USA and the Netherlands, February 2010
- Kupelian PA, Potters L, Khuntia D, et al. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2004;58(1):25-33.
- Pisansky TM, Gold DG, Furutani KM, et al. Mayo Clin Proc 2008;83(12):1364-72.
- Dickler A, Patel RR, Wazer D. Expert Rev Med Devices 2009;6(3):325-33.
- Viani GA, Manta GB, Stefano EJ, et al. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2009;28:47.
- RA Nout RA, Smit VTHB, Putter H et al.  Lancet. 2010; 375 (9717): 816-23.

About Nucletron
Nucletron provides state of the art radiotherapy solutions for cancer treatment that meet the evolving needs of patients, their caregivers and healthcare professionals around the world. Nucletron has unmatched global leadership in brachytherapy, a very precise, highly effective and well-tolerated treatment option for healthcare providers, tailored to the needs of individual patients. We work with clinical teams to constantly improve and develop an innovative portfolio of integrated products, software and services that assures excellent patient outcomes.  Headquartered in Veenendaal, The Netherlands, Nucletron employs more than 500 employees, with offices in 18 countries, and products available in more than 100 countries around the world. Please visit https://www.nucletron.com/ to learn more about our healthcare solutions.

About The Health On the Net Foundation
The Health On the Net Foundation (HON http://www.healthonnet.org/) promotes and guides the deployment of useful and reliable online health information, and its appropriate and efficient use. Created in 1995, HON is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, accredited to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. For 15 years, HON has focused on the essential question of the provision of health information to citizens, information that respects ethical standards. To cope with the unprecedented volume of healthcare information available on the Net, the HON code of conduct offers a multi-stakeholder consensus on standards to guide citizens to transparent and trustworthy health information.