June 2, 2014 — CivaTech Oncology’s flagship product, the CivaString source, has been listed on the Joint American Association of Physicists in Medicine/IROC Houston Registry of Brachytherapy Sources meeting the AAPM Dosimetric Prerequisites. This approval is granted through independent investigations and a thorough review process, affirming the robust dosimetric qualities of CivaString and allowing routine product use without special approvals or IRB clinical trial oversight.
This new method of polymer encapsulation of Palladium 103, a low dose rate source with a half–life of 17 days, enables a linear, homogenous dose profile which is designed to be superior to other products encapsulated in metals. CivaString is currently in use for the treatment of prostate cancer.
Suzanne Babcock, CivaTech Oncology chairman and CEO, said, “We are excited to see that both research and clinical usage suggest potential savings of up to 40 percent fewer needles than traditionally required for seed implants. This can result in reductions in tissue trauma and procedural time.” Other advantages of polymer-based brachytherapy include improvement to image quality, should patients require future diagnostics in the region.
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2014, 233,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed and 29,480 men will die of the disease. It is the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States. Most men are concerned about the undesirable side effects that accompany all methods of treating prostate cancer and the polymer-based technology may reduce some of these issues.
For more information: www.civatechoncology.com