Breast Cancer Patient First in Latin America to Receive Treatment Using Elekta VMAT Planned with Monaco Software

MONTERREY, Mexico and ATLANTA, July 02, 2010

Arc-based radiation delivery technique drives clinical confidence, faster treatment times at OCA Hospital in Monterrey, Mexico

A 64-year-old female patient with mediastinal metastasis recently became the first in Latin America to receive Elekta VMAT radiotherapy treatment enhanced with Monaco® planning software. Using the arc-based Elekta VMAT delivery method, Monaco displays how the radiation dose should be applied—its distribution and strength on the target. The result is a therapy that not only is rapid, but also fine-tuned to treat cancer and avoid healthy tissues.

The patient completed her five Elekta VMAT treatment sessions at OCA Hospital, each of which lasted less than five minutes*. The largest private medical center in Mexico, OCA Hospital is the fifth center in the world to utilize the combined radiation therapy planning and delivery solution.

Since, OCA Hospital has used the technique to treat four additional patients: one with parotid cancer, a patient with a gastrointestinal stromal (GIST) tumor, a third patient with rectal cancer and a patient with prostate cancer.

“The speed of Elekta VMAT is reinforced with sophisticated Monaco planning, which helps us effectively plan around targets and organs-at-risk,” says Genaro Levinson, president and CEO of OCA Hospital. “Also, the Monte Carlo dose algorithm enhances the predictability of the dose, so we can confidently deliver the highest therapeutic dose.”

A key feature of Monaco is the Monte Carlo dose engine, which ensures the greatest possible therapeutic radiation hits the cancer target, while minimizing the dose to normal healthy tissues.

In addition to its Elekta VMAT/Monaco first, OCA Hospital was the first medical center in Latin America to install Elekta Synergy®, a treatment system equipped with advanced imaging technology to visualize the tumor and critical structures with the patient in the treatment position at the time of treatment.

“OCA leadership and senior management determined to upgrade our oncology department with state-of-the-art technology, including how we could improve Elekta Synergy,” Levinson says. “We wanted to be one step ahead of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy [IMRT] with static segments, which we had been doing successfully for years. We envisioned VMAT as an excellent alternative for dynamic IMRT using rapid volumetric arcs.”

To learn more about Monaco planning software, visit www.elekta.com/monacovmat.

*Actual treatment times may vary.

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For further information, please contact:

Stina Thorman, Vice President Corporate Communications, Elekta AB
Tel: +46 8 587 254 37, email: stina.thorman@elekta.com
Time zone: CET: Central European

Michelle Lee, Director, Global Public Relations and Brand Management, Elekta
Tel: +1 770-670-2447, email: michelle.lee@elekta.com
Time zone: EDT: Eastern Daylight

About Elekta

Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems for radiation therapy and radiosurgery, as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer care.

Stretching the boundaries of science and technology, providing intelligent and resource-efficient solutions that offer confidence to both healthcare providers and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save patient lives, making the future possible today.

Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 5,000 hospitals globally, and every day more than 100,000 patients receive diagnosis, treatment or follow-up with the help of a solution from the Elekta Group.

Elekta employs around 2,500 employees globally. The corporate headquarter is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker EKTAb.

About OCA Hospital
OCA Hospital is among the most advanced cancer treatment centers in the world. From early diagnosis with its PET-CT system, to the most precise therapeutic treatments (IMRT, VMAT), conducted with state-of-the-art radiation therapy systems, OCA Hospital gives its patients access to the most sophisticated medical technology available.

OCA Hospital is Latin America’s only hospital that produces 10 different radioisotopes in its radiopharmacy and cyclotron lab—for more specificity in diagnosing a variety of tumors.