March 5, 2009 – MDS Nordion, a leading provider of medical isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals, will showcase an improved administration system for TheraSphere, Yttrium-90 Microsphere (Y-90), a targeted internal radiation therapy for patients with inoperable, primary liver cancer, during the upcoming Society of Interventional Radiology 2009 (SIR 2009) scientific meeting in San Diego, CA.
The enhancements to the administration system allow for safer, faster and more efficient administration of TheraSphere, providing better treatment delivery for patients.
The simplified design of the administration system makes TheraSphere even easier to use for physicians. It has fewer parts, is easier to assemble, requires less handling, and reduces set-up time for physicians by approximately 50 per cent.
The disposable tubing and tubing connections have been re-designed to minimize barriers and optimize the fluid pathway, which is significant for delivery of small particle technology. These improvements optimize dose delivery, providing enhanced safety and ease of use for both medical staff and patients.
"Overall, MDS Nordion incorporated smart enhancements to facilitate the safe and effective delivery of TheraSphere including optimizing access to the dose vial and improving the overall internal flow of the therapy to the affected cells," said David Wood, M.D., chief of Interventional Radiology, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ. "These upgrades make the administration of TheraSphere to our patients safer and easier."
May Wahab, M.D., associate professor of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Sylvester Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine at University of Miami Hospital said that TheraSphere is the result of advanced technology allowing incorporation of radiation-emitting Yttrium into glass microbeads.
"The improvements made to the administration system will make delivering TheraSphere much easier and far more efficient and is an exciting development (for the medical community)," noted Dr. Wahab.
For more information: www.mdsnordion.com