Intraoperative Electron-Beam Radiation Therapy Employs Singe-Dose Technique

Clinicians at a Japanese hospital are now using intraoperative electron-beam radiation therapy (IOERT) to treat breast cancer patients. The technique allows clinicians to employ the groundbreaking single-dose technique, a treatment that offers considerable physiologic and psychologic benefits to breast cancer patients.

Nagoya University Hospital (Nagoya, Japan) acquired a new device to implement the technology, called the Mobetron, IntraOp Medical Corp's (Sunnyvale, CA, USA) mobile, self-shielding linear accelerator, in October 2006. Nagoya University has had a long history of using IOERT through patient transportation, particularly for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. They are the first hospital in Japan to provide IOERT in a standard operating room. Led by chairman and professor of surgery, Dr. Akimasa Nakao, Nagoya University Hospital doctors have not only continued to use the Mobetron to treat pancreatic cancer, but they are also pioneering the use of IOERT for their breast cancer patients.

The European Institute of Oncology (Milan, Italy) has been a vocal proponent of IOERT for many years. Renowned breast surgeon Dr. Umberto Veronesi, director of the European Institute of Oncology, developed what is known as the single-dose approach for treating breast cancer. Inspired by Dr. Veronesi's record of positive outcomes, Nagoya University Hospital adopted his single-dose technique. Since December 2007, Nagoya University Hospital has been using the Mobetron to administer IOERT to breast cancer treatments.

The term "single-dose” refers to IOERT's ability to eliminate the need for post-surgery radiation therapy. The Mobetron allows Nagoya University Hospital doctors to deliver a single dose of radiation to patients during their cancer surgery. By delivering radiation at the time that the cancerous tissue is excised, the Mobetron administers in one treatment the equivalent of six weeks of postoperative radiation therapy.

The benefits of using the Mobetron to deliver single-dose radiation therapy are numerous. When the Mobetron delivers single-dose IOERT, it allows radiation and surgical oncologists to visually see the exact area they need to radiate and immediately deliver high doses directly to the affected tissue when any residual tumor cells will be most vulnerable. It is more convenient for the patient since all of the radiation that is needed to control the disease is given at the same time as surgery. Single-dose IOERT also results in substantially less dose to the healthy tissues, and there is complete sparing of radiation to the skin, which should lead to better cosmetic results.

In addition to maximizing positive outcomes, using the Mobetron to deliver single-dose radiation therapy greatly reduces the overall treatment time for the patient, resulting in a faster recovery and return to daily life. It also increases the chances for oncoplastic reconstruction at the time of the lumpectomy, making breast reconstruction a real alternative to mastectomy for many breast cancer patients.

"The doctors at the Nagoya University Hospital are delighted to be able to offer single-dose IOERT to their patients,” said Jay Bhatt, senior advisor to IntraOp Medical Corporation. Nagoya University has long been a leader in providing innovative approaches to cancer treatment. With the Mobetron and single-dose IOERT, they are able to continue this tradition. I am convinced that their approach will result in breast preservation for their patients with more convenience at less cost.”

IntraOp Medical provides innovative technology systems for the treatment and eradication of cancer. The company's flagship product, the Mobetron, is the first fully portable, self-shielding intraoperative electron-radiation therapy device designed for use in any operating room. Key Mobetron benefits include: increased survival rates, better local tumor control, shorter treatment cycles, and fewer side effects. Leading hospitals, from university research centers to specialized cancer clinics in North America, Europe, and Asia use the Mobetron as a vital part of their comprehensive cancer program.


Related Links:
Nagoya University Hospital
IntraOp Medical