August 16 2001
The Netherlands, Veenendaal, (16th August 2001) - Nucletron BV, Elekta and the University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht are proud to announce the first clinical treatment in the Netherlands, combining the advanced inverse planning features of the PLATOcomplete™ system with the efficient IMRT delivery capabilities of the Elekta Precise Treatment System™. The Radiotherapy department of the UMC has started to use (IMRT) Intensity Modulation Radiation Therapy for the treatment of patients with prostate cancer. IMRT makes it possible to treat the tumor accurately while avoiding sensitive organs in close proximity to the prostate. This is intended to improve the outcome of the treatment, while keeping the adverse side effects of the treatment to a minimum. The treatment was designed using Inverse Treatment Planning (ITP) on the Nucletron PLATOcomplete™ system. The accuracy of the treatment is further enhanced by the use of gold markers implanted in the prostate. These markers are detected during treatment by an imaging system (iView™) from Elekta, using amorphous silicon technology. This marker detection makes it possible to correct the treatment for small changes in the position of the prostate within the patient. "The benefit for our patients of improved treatment techniques like IMRT is of crucial importance, both for treatment outcome and for the quality of life" stated Prof. Dr. J.J. Battermann, Head of the Radiotherapy department UMC. This is another excellent example of how Elekta’s open systems philosophy has enabled the implementation of the latest clinical techniques" stated Dee Mathieson, Director, Product Management at Elekta. "The connectivity inherent in Elekta’s Precise Treatment System™ enables seamless information transfer from PLATOcomplete™ using DICOM protocols. This provides an integrated and efficient working environment, streamlining the radiotherapy process and allowing providers to focus on the clinical care of their patients. Elekta is committed to DICOM international standards and we are working with many vendors to implement these protocols. This enables customers to tailor a solution using products best suited to their requirements, from any vendor of their choice." "Our latest PLATOcomplete™ version is now the most flexible treatment planning system in the world to facilitate this superior IMRT technique for clinical use to all major linear accelerators. We are proud to contribute in this way to treatments that improve dose optimization to the tumor as well as a substantial dose reduction to healthy tissues" stated Mark Adam, General Manager Sales EMEA & Vice President Marketing of Nucletron BV.
About UMC "The UMC Utrecht consists of the University Hospital Utrecht, the Medical Faculty of the Utrecht University and the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital and is one of the largest university medical centers in the Netherlands. It has a leadership position in many medical disciplines, research and education. The UMC Utrecht is dedicated to innovate and develop patient care, education and research. The mutual inspiration of science and care in the Utrecht UMC is based on our conviction that this will foster them both." For information, please contact M. Wolters, Communication department, Tel.: +31 (0)30 2506375, Fax: +31 (0)30 2505410 Prof. Dr. J.J. Battermann, Head of the Radiotherapy department Drs. J. Welleweerd, Clinical Physicist Radiotherapy
About Elekta ELEKTA is the world's 2nd largest supplier of radiation oncology and radiosurgery solutions for precise radiotherapy and neurosurgery. Elekta Precise Solutions includes a comprehensive range of non-invasive cancer care and minimally invasive neurosurgery systems including radiosurgery and stereotaxy, backed by a global network of clinical, technical and financial support services.
About Nucletron Nucletron BV, Veenendaal, The Netherlands, is a world-wide leader in radiotherapy systems and thoracic imaging equipment for radiology and mass chest screening and specializes in some of the most innovative products used for cancer treatment. The company has 11 offices worldwide, including its corporate headquarter in the Netherlands. Nucletron has been a worldwide leader in remote afterloading brachytherapy for 25 years. Nucletron BV is a subsidiary of Delft Instruments, an international group of companies with 1000 employees and annual sales of more than EUR 180 million.