Elekta (NSE:EKTAb) and Royal Philips (NYSE:PHG, AEX:PHIA) announced today that The Christie NHS Foundation Trust (Manchester, UK), a specialist cancer center, will join a consortium whose mission is to develop the clinical value of an integrated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided radiation therapy system. Such a system would, in principle, improve the practice of radiotherapy via real-time visualization of cancer targets.
"The Christie was an essential participant in the project 14 years ago that laid the foundations of the use of cone beam computed tomography [CBCT] at the time of treatment to improve radiotherapy delivery," says Niklas Savander, Elekta President and CEO. "It has a dedicated team of researchers in medical physics, radiotherapy and clinical oncology and MR imaging that is committed to the most accurate and individualized delivery of radiation therapy. The Christie has the perfect blend of experience and expertise to further help the consortium make MRI-guided radiation therapy a reality."
The Christie is the seventh member to join the research consortium that assesses the novel technology, which brings together state-of-the-art radiation therapy and MRI in a single system. The consortium also includes the University Medical Center Utrecht (Utrecht, the Netherlands), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, Texas), The Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital (Amsterdam, the Netherlands), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, Ontario), The Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) and The Institute of Cancer Research, working with its clinical partner The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust (London, England).
"We are very excited to be a part of an international consortium of truly exceptional centers that are striving as we are to develop technological innovations to benefit patients," says Dr. Ananya Choudhury, Consultant and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, Clinical Oncology at The Christie. "Unlike any imaging modality now in use in combination with radiotherapy, MRI can provide highly detailed images of the tumor and surrounding normal tissues. Moreover, MRI will permit physicians to non-invasively visualize and track the target during beam delivery - real-time imaging - which will further improve treatment accuracy."
The Christie joined the recent research consortium meeting at Utrecht, where the clinical indications that would benefit the most from the use of MRI-guided radiation therapy were discussed. These targets are typically going to be in anatomy that changes its position and shape either from day to day or during the treatment. The consortium anticipates that the use of MRI imaging at the time of treatment will result in a considerable increase in the accuracy of the placement of the dose, reducing the need for large safety margins around the tumor target.
"When we first started this journey with Elekta and the University Medical Center Utrecht more than a decade ago, we already had a clear vision, yet we could only dream of today's MRI imaging performance," says Gene Saragnese, CEO Imaging Systems at Philips Healthcare. "Since then we have come a long way and I am convinced that with the current state of the technology and the growing consortium of leaders in radiation therapy delivery, we have the prerequisites to make the integrated MRI-guided radiation therapy technology a game changer in cancer care."
The MRI-guided radiation therapy system is a works in progress and not available for sale or distribution.
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About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2013 sales of EUR 23.3 billion and employs approximately 113,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare.
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, radiosurgery and brachytherapy, 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 health care providers and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save patient lives. Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 6,000 hospitals worldwide. Elekta employs around 3,500 employees globally. The corporate headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker STO:EKTAB.