November 14, 2011 — iCAD Inc. announced its Xoft Axxent eBx electronic brachytherapy system for intra-operative radiation therapy (IORT) has been recently adopted at leading hospitals across the country. The facilities include Diablo Valley Oncology/Hematology (Pleasant Hill, Calif.), Exeter Hospital (Exeter, N.H.), Memorial Hospital Chattanooga (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Florida Hospital Tampa (Tampa, Fla.), Rockford Memorial Hospital (Rockford, Ill.), Rose Medical Center (Denver, Colo.) and Vanderbilt Medical Center (Nashville, Tenn.)
“The recent adoption of the Axxent eBx System is an increasing endorsement of electronic brachytherapy and IORT as a safe and effective method of radiation treatment,” said Ken Ferry, president and CEO of iCAD. “The growing demand for IORT offers patients expanded access to potentially lifesaving radiation therapy for their cancer treatment and an alternative to long-term radiation therapy.”
IORT enables doctors to administer a high dose of radiation to the tumor bed during a lumpectomy. This reduces or eliminates the need for follow-up radiation treatments and also minimizes radiation exposure to healthy tissue and organs, such as the ribs, lungs, heart and opposite breast.
The current standard of care for early stage breast cancer consists of lumpectomy, medical therapy, and a five to seven week course of daily whole breast external beam radiation therapy (WBEBRT); the WBEBRT treatment is delivered by linear accelerators inside a heavily shielded room.
With IORT, a single dose of intra-operative radiation may be as effective in treating the tumor as 10–20 daily radiation doses.
“Radiation therapy is a critical element of breast cancer treatment for most patients, however, historically it has required weeks of daily treatments, which can be a burden on the patient’s life and, in some cases, affect her ability to comply with the treatment,” said Barbara Schwartzberg, M.D., chair of cancer services at Rose Medical Center. “The Xoft Axxent eBx System gives us the ability to provide a full course of radiation treatment at the time of surgery, creating opportunities for our physicians to treat breast cancer patients in a manner that is less disruptive and less burdensome on the patient’s lifestyle. Most importantly, this is a great improvement in patient care, and it may also lower the cost of treatment."
The system is U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared for the treatment of early stage breast cancer, endometrial cancer and skin cancer. It has also been cleared for the treatment of other cancers or conditions where radiation therapy is indicated.
As a platform technology, the Axxent system is designed to deliver non-radioactive therapy directly to cancer sites with minimal radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. It is also cleared for use in accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI).
For more information: www.icadmed.com
August 09, 2024 
