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NBA Hopeful Receives Advanced Treatment With Leksell Gamma Knife(R) From Elekta to Help Make Hoop Dreams Come True

Posted on: Monday, 27 November 2006, 12:01 CST

ATLANTA, Nov. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- When 7-foot, 9-inch-tall basketball hopeful Sun Ming Ming takes the next surgical step on November 30 at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center(R) in Winston-Salem, NC, he will join the ranks of patients worldwide who have been successfully treated with Leksell Gamma Knife(R) from Elekta, the most clinically proven and preferred technology for radiosurgery of the brain.

Just 23-years old, Sun Ming Ming is a Chinese native who came to the United States with dreams of playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Though eligible for the NBA draft in 2005, Sun Ming Ming was hampered by what was later diagnosed as an abnormal growth in the pituitary gland. The inflammation spurred Sun Ming Ming's extraordinary height as it caused his pituitary to overproduce growth hormone; it also hurt his endurance, strength and speed on the court as it caused him to under produce testosterone.

"The challenge with a brain tumor like Sun Ming Ming's is that it requires a highly precise and proven tool to remove the residual tumor, which is very near his optic nerve," said Volker Stieber, M.D., head of the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center team that is taking care of Sun Ming Ming. "By relying on Gamma Knife(R) surgery, we can help further relieve the pressure that caused his abnormal hormone activity."

The tiny pituitary "master gland" is located near the middle of brain, just behind the eyes and nose. Sun Ming Ming initially underwent traditional surgery at a California hospital where physicians removed the bulk of the growth through a nasal incision approach. Now, Gamma Knife radiosurgery will remove the residual and hard-to-reach inflamed tissue, thereby improving Sun Ming Ming's overall results.

Gamma Knife(R) surgery is a non-invasive procedure in which a single, highly targeted dose of radiation, conformed to the shape of the inflamed growth cavity, is delivered intra-cranially (through the skull) with no incisions. Gamma Knife surgery patients normally leave the hospital the same or the following day, making it a cost-effective alternative to open surgery.

"Only Leksell Gamma Knife from Elekta provides the combination of precision, and proven efficacy to be recognized as the best radiosurgery choice for treatments within the brain," said Jim Rose, VP of Elekta Marketing, North America. "The Wake Forest Radiation Oncology team recognizes the importance of Leksell Gamma Knife and appreciates that this specialized tool is a critical component of their expanding cancer care portfolio."

"I am grateful to Elekta and the Gamma Knife team here at Wake Forest," Sun Ming Ming said. "It was a relief to learn that a tumor was causing a reduction in my performance. It is nice to know with this treatment, I can improve my overall health and my chances of making it to the NBA."

About Elekta

Elekta is an international medical technology group, providing meaningful clinical solutions, comprehensive information systems and services for improved cancer care and management of brain disorders. All of Elekta's solutions employ non-invasive or minimally invasive techniques and are therefore clinically effective, gentle on the patient and cost-effective.

Elekta's systems and solutions are used at over 4,000 hospitals around the world to treat cancer and manage clinical operations as well as to diagnose and treat brain disorders, including vascular malformations and functional disorders.

With approximately 2,000 employees, Elekta's corporate headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden and the company is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange under the ticker EKTab. Elekta's U.S. operations are headquartered in Atlanta. For more information about Elekta, visit http://www.elekta.com/

About Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the university's School of Medicine. The system comprises 1,187 acute care, psychiatric, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and is consistently ranked as one of "America's Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report.

Elekta, Inc.

CONTACT: Diane Stephens of Wake Forest University Baptist MedicalCenter, +1-336-716-6906, or dsstephe@wfubmc.edu

Web site: http://www.elekta.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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