February 9, 2012 — IsoRay Inc., a medical technology company with specialty in seed brachytherapy and medical radioisotope applications, said that the findings of a Cleveland Clinic study add to evidence supporting the efficacy of brachytherapy. The Cleveland Clinic study compared external beam radiation, prostatectomy (the surgical removal of the prostate) and brachytherapy (internal radiation therapy). The study, which examined the treatment outcomes for 137,000 men over a five-year period, found brachytherapy to have the fewest number of toxicities involving genital or urinary organs and the lowest total cost per patient per year. The Cleveland Clinic researchers are the first to examine the quality of life and financial costs of the three most common prostate cancer treatments over a prolonged period after treatment.
IsoRay CEO Dwight Babcock said the findings were "confirmation of what we have known at IsoRay for some time. Brachytherapy low dose internal radiation is the most effective and cost efficient therapy available, along with having the fewest complications. Importantly, we are the only brachytherapy company with an isotope (Cesium-131) that has enough energy and the short half life needed to combat fast growing, aggressive cancers located anywhere in the body. Going forward, it is my hope that this study will serve to shift the focus back to brachytherapy as physicians receive further confirmation of its superiority."
IsoRay is the exclusive manufacturer of Cesium-131. This brachytherapy treatment represents one of the most important advancements in internal radiation therapy in 20 years. Cs-131 seeds deliver radiation quickly and aggressively compared to other types of internal, low-dose rate radiation. Brachytherapy with Cs-131 is minimally invasive; provides higher energy, more rapid delivery of a uniform dose of radiation; and has a shorter half life (9.7 days) than other radioactive isotopes used in internal radiation therapy. The groundbreaking treatment impacts longevity and cure rates and can be performed outside a hospital setting, resulting in a faster return of a patient to normal activity.
Babcock says he strongly believes the expected upcoming release of IsoRay's 5 year data on the use of Cesium-131 to treat prostate cancer will provide further compelling evidence for doctors and the patients they treat regarding the choice of Cesium-131.
For more information: www.isoray.com
May 03, 2024 
