Imaging Technology News 9/08

Feature IGRT Prostate continued from page 13 more data on the benefits of proton therapy versus the more commonly used photon therapy techniques. When asked about which image-guided treatment excels above the rest, he explained that the data thus far is not very conclusive. According to Dr. Dicker, “The issues really are quality of life issues and what the [patients] perceive.” With each treatment technique comes its own set of trade-offs. For example, IMRT is administered over eight weeks, while seed implants take one visit to the clinic but require anesthesia. Radiation also has a tendency to cause more urinary side effects, while surgery may cause more sexual dysfunction. If a patient wants more immediate gratification, surgery will cause PSA levels to decrease to zero in three months whereas with radiation, a decline should occur within six months to a year or longer, according to Dr. Dicker. “So, quality of life issues really transcend everything,” he concluded. Siemens’ MVision Megavoltage Cone Beam Imaging Package enables low-dose image acquisition. Novel Radiopharmaceuticals While numerous options exist for the treatment of prostate cancer, new techniques in radiation therapy promise even greater toxicity reduction and improved prostate cancer treatment. SIX MINUTES TO YOU COULD MEAN A LIFETIME TO HER. Several new radiopharmaceutical advancements are underway to better treat, detect, stage and prevent the recurrence of prostate cancer. UCLA researchers led by Lily Wu demonstrated how positron emission tomography (PET) located diseased cells as they metastasize to lymph nodes when used with a genetically engineered common cold virus that attaches to prostate cancer cells, which is the first place prostate cancer goes before invading other organs. These results provide hope for finding the spread of cancer earlier by being able to visualize its spread, which is currently difficult using conventional means. Wu hopes to take this finding one step further by adding a treatment component to the genetic payload, which could kill the cancer as it spreads. Other strides are being made in the early detection and staging of prostate cancer by Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals Inc. which has initiated a Phase I clinical trial for Trofex, its molecular imaging program. The trial is designed to investigate two small molecule radiopharmaceutical candidates that target prostate cancer. In another study researchers found that a new drug by Apthera, NeuVax (E75), delays the recurrence of prostate cancer in terms of prostate specific antigen levels and clinical recurrences in men who were HER2 positive for prostate cancer. Findings demonstrated that the median time to recurrence for the treatment group was 14 months compared to 8.5 months for the control group. This data is now sufficient to warrant a larger, randomized Phase II trial for the efficacy of NeuVax. These recent advances in radiation therapy (RT) and disease diagnosis show tremendous potential in better locating and targeting prostate cancer pre- and post-metastasis. ITN 14 | ITN | September 2008 The NEW Gammex 507 Rotational Therapy Phantom performs seven crucial quality control checks in just six minutes. The level of care for your patients has reached new heights – and dimensions – with rotational therapy. However, it’s difficult to ensure rotational accuracy with standard QA methodology, which is not designed to test the 360 degree interplay between all the systems. In just six minutes, the 507 Rotational Therapy Phantom performs quality checks on seven critical areas in rotational mode. As effective as it is efficient, the phantom and its software For more information contact a GAMMEX representative today at 1 800 GAMMEX 1 (426 6391) allows inspection of the MLC and gantry position synchrony, beam profile comparisons, constancy checks, and dose rate checks. When you’re seeking a method to ensure accurate rotational therapy, and your patient’s peace of mind…Think Gammex First. • GERMANY • VISIT US AT ASTRO BOOTH #1547 USA • UNITED KINGDOM WWW.GAMMEX.COM http://WWW.GAMMEX.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Imaging Technology News 9/08

Imaging Technology News 9/08 Contents IGRT How IGRT Targets the Prostate ASTRO Oncology Information Management Systems (OIMS) Imaging Leading the Intense Race Against Cancer SBRT - The New Treatment of Choice Top IMRT/IGRT Centers to Watch Molecular Imaging: Ready for the Limelight CR or DR in the ER? Have You Hit the Glass Ceiling?

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