With the variety of breast brachytherapy tools, what key factors should the patient and physician keep in mind?

YASHAR: Ease of use and flexibility are the key factors that led me to choose [Cianna Medical’s] SAVI applicator for the majority of my brachytherapy procedures.
Interstitial brachytherapy, which consists of 15-20 catheters individually inserted in the breast, enables physicians to tailor the dose based on a patient’s anatomy. However, it is a very technically difficult procedure and is therefore not widely available.

September 17, 2008 - Syntermed Inc. said this week it debuted the company’s SyncTool, a diagnostic tool for heart failure, on GE Healthcare Xeleris 2 workstation at the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) meeting.

GE Healthcare exclusively licensed the software for new Xeleris workstations in conjunction with Syntermed’s Emory Cardiac Toolbox (ECTb) and is offering it as an upgrade to existing customers. SyncTool, a phase analysis software, analyzes the benefits of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in heart failure patients.

September 17, 2008 – A multicenter trial testing intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for patients with early stage oropharyngeal cancer showed a reduction in long-term salivary toxicity, while achieving good tumor control, according to new research from the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) that will be presented at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) 50th Annual Meeting in Boston.

September 17, 2008 - The Beekley Corp. introduced its new Cradles Needle Localization Wire Protectors, disposable clear covers designed by a mammography technologist for protecting and stabilizing the needle localization wire.

September 17, 2008 - Bone metastasis and other bone-related complications affect hundreds of thousands of cancer patients each year.

The newly organized Bone and Cancer Foundation (BCF) provides information to patients and healthcare providers on the management of cancer that affects the bone through its publications and website http://www.boneandcancerfoundation.org/. The web site also includes information on clinical trials.
The six patient publications which are now available in print and on the website are:

SenoRx's Contura, a multi-lumen radiation balloon applicator for accelerated partial breast irradiation, uses a vacuum to remove excess fluid and to adhere closely to often irregularly shaped lumpectomy cavities in order to deliver reportedly precise radiation dosing through multiple seed lumens.

September 16, 2008 - Doctors at cancer treatment centers in the U.S. and the Netherlands are now treating head and neck cancer using RapidArc radiotherapy technology from Varian Medical Systems.

RapidArc was used to deliver image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) significantly faster than was previously possible with conventional IMRT. The RapidArc treatment plans for these cases also did a better job of protecting surrounding normal tissues and organs.

Mayo Clinic has announced it has developed a series of MRI devices that make it easier to diagnose injuries and diseases that affect wrists, forearms, elbows, hands and fingers. Mayo worked with IBM Engineering and Technology Services and IBM Design Consulting Services on this solution. With recent FDA approval, the group plans to market these devices to other medical centers nationwide.

September 16, 2008 – GE Healthcare IT introduced Centricity PACS-IW version 3.7.1., derived from GE’s Dynamic Imaging and designed to provide an intuitive platform for radiologists through its enhanced performance, interface navigation and ergonomic design.

The recent installment of GE’s Centricity PACS-IW, the first major release since Dynamic Imaging acquisition, is a Web-based PACS technology with tools aimed to sustain flexible IT models for outpatient imaging centers, virtual radiology practices, physician offices and hospitals.

September 16, 2008 - National Instruments has selected the Visica 2 Treatment System as the Humanitarian Application of the Year at the first-ever Graphical System Design Achievement Awards held recently as part of the NIWeek conference in Austin, TX.

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