Nucletron hosts European educational meeting: “Modern Brachytherapy - The future of prostate cancer treatment”

March 28 2011  |  News Article 

Leading experts meet to discuss advances in prostate cancer treatment 

Veenendaal, The Netherlands (28 March 2011) - Nucletron, a leading provider of state-of-the-art radiotherapy solutions for cancer treatment, recently hosted a meeting in Sintra, Portugal focusing on the role of brachytherapy in prostate cancer treatment. Key speakers discussed the role of low dose rate (LDR) or ‘seeds’ brachytherapy and high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy in treating prostate cancer.  An international panel of expert speakers  discussed key points such as the differences in efficacy, side effects, treatment times and cost effectiveness of the various treatment options available.

Attendees at the meeting, which included more than 100 urologists, radiation oncologists and medical physicists from across Europe, heard that compared to other forms of radiotherapy such as external beam (EBRT), brachytherapy can deliver the required dose of radiation over a significantly shortened treatment time. In treating prostate cancer normal treatment times that can take up to seven weeks with EBRT take only one or two days with brachytherapy. Additionally, the precise delivery of radiation achieved with brachytherapy reduces the risk of unnecessary damage to surrounding healthy tissue and organs, minimizing side effects. The risk of side effects like incontinence and erectile dysfunction is lower after brachytherapy than with other treatment options. These factors minimize disruption to patients’ quality of life, and the short treatment and recovery times allow a faster return to everyday life.

“Brachytherapy plays an important role as a treatment option for low- and intermediate-risk, localized prostate tumors.  Significant advances have been made in brachytherapy over the last few years, in particular with real time planning.  These new techniques help healthcare professionals achieve increased precision in delivering the radiation dose, which has important effects in terms of limiting treatment toxicities such as bladder and bowel side effects,” said Christof Kastner, Consultant Urologist, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, UK.  “For the patient, this has important effects in terms of their quality of life.   This meeting was highly informative and valuable, highlighting the clear clinical and patient benefits of modern brachytherapy over alternative treatment options,” he added.

The latest data from studies with  prostate brachytherapy were presented during the meeting, including new data on HDR brachytherapy as monotherapy in treating low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Participants also had the opportunity to experience hands on real-time treatment planning using Nucletron’s innovative prostate solutions, Oncentra® Prostate and Oncentra® Seeds.  A live case procedure of HDR brachytherapy using Nucletron’s Oncentra Prostate was watched and discussed by the audience to further enhance their understanding.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in Western men. However, because of earlier diagnosis and advances in treatment, mortality is in decline. Factors such as impact on quality of life, treatment time, convenience and cost all play an increasingly important role in treatment choice, and highlight the need for patient-focused treatment options.

Anthony McKenna, a HDR brachytherapy patient from the UK who underwent treatment for prostate cancer in October 2009, spoke at the meeting about his personal experiences. “After being diagnosed, I discussed the various options available to me with my clinician.  I decided that surgery was not an option, because of the long recovery time, and I would, therefore, not be able to work for a considerable time. Undergoing the brachytherapy treatment, I experienced very little pain during or after the procedure, apart from some minor swelling which subsided after a couple of weeks. By the time I had my 6 weeks check -up, I had almost made a complete recovery. I would actively encourage anyone who has cancer to talk to their clinician about brachytherapy as a potential treatment option.”

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 http://www.nucletron.com/ to learn more about our healthcare solutions.

About Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy is a high-precision radiation therapy in which the radiation source used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors is placed in or close to the tumor itself. Brachytherapy offers a precise, highly effective and well-tolerated treatment option tailored to the needs of individual patients. Using brachytherapy, healthcare providers can deliver a high radiation dose to the specific target area, minimizing exposure to nearby, healthy body tissues and organs.  By treating cancer “from the inside-out” the risk of side effects is reduced, and treatment times are shorter.  Find out more about brachytherapy at http://www.aboutbrachytherapy.com/

About Nucletron Prostate Solutions
Nucletron’s prostate solutions offer the first complete program for prostate brachytherapy. Fully integrated treatment solution packages, Oncentra® Seeds and Oncentra® Prostate, address both LDR and HDR prostate brachytherapy – from precise treatment planning to precision treatment delivery.  Built around the latest state-of-the-art Oncentra® software, each solution incorporates specific, leading-edge inverse planning tools, allowing optimal control over treatment planning and delivery. Nucletron’s LDR (‘seeds’)  solution features a unique robotic system that provides maximum accuracy and control in seed implant delivery. Together, Nucletron’s prostate solutions deliver excellent, clinically-proven efficacy, safety and patient quality of life.