Mesh-Embedded Seeds, Liquid Radiation to Treat Cancer

May 7, 2012 - IsoRay Inc., a medical technology company and innovator in seed brachytherapy and medical radioisotope applications, announced it will host a booth at the world brachytherapy meeting. The program, presented by GEC-ESTRO (The Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie and the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology), in co-operation with ABS (American Brachytherapy Society), ALATRO (Asociacion Latinoamericana de Terapia Radiante Oncologica), and the Indian and Australasian brachytherapy groups, will take place May 10-12 in Barcelona, Spain.

IsoRay’s introduction to the world brachytherapy community will include a number of activities at the company's booth. Leading physicians from major medial institutions will host a series of discussion groups regarding the innovative GliaSite radiation system treatment, which represents a major advance over previous brain cancer treatments. In addition to demonstrating the GliaSite radiation system, IsoRay's European distributor, Karlheinz Goehl-Medizintechnik Goehl, will be on hand to respond to questions. Booth activities will also feature slide shows, videos, and working demonstrations of the application of mesh with Cesium-131 embedded seeds for use in brain, head and neck, lung, occular, gynecological and prostate cancers.

GliaSite remains the world's only system that allows doctors to place a specified dosage of liquid radiation in areas where cancer is most likely to remain after surgical brain tumor removal. The specificity of the dosage placement means damage is less likely to occur to healthy brain tissue in contrast to other treatments. The liquid radiation balloon catheter device impacts the ability of the tumor to recur which is a vital benefit for patients both in longevity and quality of life. IsoRay has exclusive worldwide distribution rights for the GliaSite radiation therapy system.

According to IsoRay CEO Dwight Babcock, the company expects to hold a number of high level meetings in response to international inquiries regarding distribution. Babcock noted, "The international medical community has become increasingly aware of the key advantages GliaSite offers patients battling Glioblastomas and metastasized brain cancers. We expect interest in GliaSite to continue to increase as doctors adopt this groundbreaking radiation therapy system." Babcock noted that he expects international sales to begin in the near term.

IsoRay's pioneering brachytherapy treatment, Cesium-131, will share center stage with the GliaSite internal radiation therapy system at the meeting. A number of presentations, as published in the Brachytherapy Journal of the ABS, focus on important findings regarding Cesium-131 brachytherapy. New York Presbyterian Radiation Oncologist A. Gabriella Wernicke, M.D., M.Sc., will be presenting a paper regarding the successful results New York-Presbyterian//Weill Cornell Medical Center doctors have experienced using sutured Cesium-131 seeds to treat metastasized brain cancer. Bhupesh Parashar, M.D., radiation oncologist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, will present the first report of outcomes, regarding toxicity and radiation exposure in the use of Cesium-131 brachytherapy for head and neck cancers. The report concludes that Cesium-131 brachytherapy is a safe and effective option for high risk head and neck cancers, producing high control rates, limited toxicity and is safe for health personnel in terms of radiation exposure.

Other presentations include UPMC radiation oncologist and associate professor of radiation oncology Sushil Beriwal reporting on long term toxicity following Cs-131 prostate brachytherapy.Beriwal and his colleagues have found most patients undergoing prostate brachytherapy with Cs-131 have no urinary or bowel toxicity at the three year post-brachytherapy mark. Another presentation by Beriwal focuses on whether there is adifference in PSA spikes using Cesium-131 brachytherapy versus other radioisotopes. While Cesium-131 treats cancer more aggressively, the report finds that it has no different long term PSA spike effect than other radioisotopes.

IsoRay is the exclusive manufacturer of Cesium-131, which represents one of the most important advancements in internal radiation therapy in 20 years. Cesium-131 allows for the internal radiation treatment of many different cancers because of its unique combination of high energy (its distinctive tissue penetrating capability reaching just far enough to treat the cancer) and its 9.7 day half-life (its matchless speed in giving off therapeutic radiation). In addition to its CMS codes, Cesium-131 is FDA-cleared for the treatment of braincancer, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, prostate cancer, gynecological cancer, colorectal cancer and ocular melanoma cancer.

For more information: www.isoray.com