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Florida's Robert A. Gardner, M.D. Foundation Chooses the Mobetron to Provide a New Outpatient Breast Cancer Radiation Treatment

Posted on: Tuesday, 15 July 2008, 09:01 CDT

IntraOp Medical Corporation (OTCBB: IOPM), a provider of innovative technology solutions for the treatment and eradication of cancer, announced today that it has received an order for the Mobetron from Dr. Robert Gardner, the director for the Center of Breast Care at Hospital Corporations of America's Columbia Hospital and the director for the Center for Breast Surgery at the Robert A. Gardner, M.D. Foundation, based in West Palm Beach, Florida.

IntraOp's Mobetron is a mobile device that delivers intraoperative electron-beam radiation therapy (IOERT) to a tumor site during cancer surgery. The Hospital Corporations of America's Columbia Hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida will house the Mobetron on site, allowing Dr. Gardner, as well as other doctors from the Robert A. Gardner, M.D. Foundation, access for breast cancer surgeries. The Robert A. Gardner, M.D. Foundation will use the Mobetron to deliver the single-dose radiation therapy technique developed by the renowned breast surgeon pioneer Dr. Umberto Veronesi of the European Institute of Oncology.

In the more than ten years since opening their doors, the Foundation has treated 150-250 breast cancer patients per year. More than 50% of Dr. Gardner's patients travel long distances within the United States, as well as from Latin America, to receive his care. For years, he has treated patients with partial breast irradiation techniques that required 5 days of treatment instead of the standard 6 weeks. Finding this approach to be time-consuming and costly for his patients, Dr. Gardner researched other options. He discovered that the single-dose treatment delivered by the Mobetron may be equivalent to the standard 6 weeks of daily radiation therapy. This single dose of radiation delivered during the cancer surgery will allow the least disruption to the patient's daily life, reducing treatment time to a single day during the breast cancer surgery. For patients that come to the Foundation from great distances, this is good news.

Dr. Veronesi's study involving an eight year randomized trial comparing his breast cancer patients' response to two types of radiation therapy was recently presented at the International Society of Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (ISIORT) conference. The results so far show that women who received breast conserving surgery, followed by a single dose of intraoperative electron-beam radiation therapy (IOERT) at the time of surgery, had an equal chance of survival as women who underwent the surgery, followed by six weeks of post-operative radiation therapy. This study confirmed to Dr. Gardner that with the Mobetron he would be able to offer the best possible solution to his breast cancer patients. Upon learning about the success of the single-dose treatment in Dr. Veronesi's study, Dr. Gardner decided to spearhead efforts to obtain the Mobetron for the Robert A. Gardner, M.D. Foundation.

The Mobetron enables radiation and surgical oncologists to target the exact area that requires radiation and to deliver an effective dose of radiation directly to the affected tissue during the cancer surgery. Since the Mobetron is a mobile, self-shielding device, doctors will be able to move the Mobetron between operating rooms, avoiding the high cost of outfitting radiation rooms to accommodate traditional devices.

Working with a radiation team from South Florida Radiation Oncology led by Dr. Kishore Dass, Dr. Gardner has high hopes that the Mobetron will be the answer he is looking for in aiding his breast cancer patients with an effective and efficient treatment. "IOERT is a major advance in breast cancer treatment," said Dr. Gardner, "allowing doctors to combine surgery and radiation therapy potentially into one outpatient visit to an OR. The Mobetron extends our ability to deliver a kinder and gentler treatment to breast cancer patients that has never been offered before."

"Dr. Gardner is the first surgeon to purchase the Mobetron directly which clearly shows his 'patient first' mentality. The past units in the US have been purchased by leading medical institutions known for cutting-edge technology," said John Powers, CEO of IntraOp Medical. "We are very excited about the opportunity for Dr. Gardner and the Robert A. Gardner, M.D. Foundation to make this treatment and business model a mainstream modality."

About IntraOp

IntraOp Medical Corporation provides innovative technology solutions for the treatment and eradication of cancer. Founded in 1993, IntraOp is committed to providing the tools doctors need to administer intraoperative radiation therapy safely and effectively - for all cancer patients. 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.

For more information about IntraOp Medical and the Mobetron, please visit: www.intraopmedical.com.

About the Robert A. Gardner, M.D., Foundation

The Robert A. Gardner, M.D. Foundation, Inc. is a 501-C3 Non Profit Corporation originally formed in 1988 as the Breast Center of the Palm Beaches to fulfill the goals of research, education and assistance in patient care. Their foundations have evolved over the years and currently exist to sponsor and foster education and knowledge in breast cancer and breast disease in women and men throughout this country. The foundation's goal is also to conduct and appropriate clinical research.

For more information about the Robert A. Gardner, M.D. Foundation, please visit: breastquestion.com/foundation.html.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the 1933 Securities Act and Section 21E of the 1934 Securities Exchange Act. Actual results could differ materially, as the result of such factors as competition in the markets for the company's products and services and the ability of the Company to execute its plans. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company can give no assurances that transactions described in this press release will be successfully completed, and undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this press release.

Source: Business Wire

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