PROVIDENCE, R.I., Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ — Rhode Island Hospital is the first site in the world to treat endometrial cancer using the Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System. The system, first approved for early stage breast cancer, is now approved by the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of uterine cancer. The first patient received treatment on September 9 at the Providence, RI hospital.
The Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System by Xoft uses a miniaturized X-ray source to deliver localized and targeted radiation treatment to reduce the risk of recurrence of the disease. It is inserted into the tumor through a catheter to the tumor site and allows medical staff administering the treatment to be in the room with the patient. The new treatment requires fewer sessions than traditional radiation and eliminates the use of radioactive isotopes, resulting in better outcomes for patients, less exposure to radiation and fewer side effects. The system was designed to improve survival and reduce recurrence of cancer
Rhode Island Hospital, the first in the world to use the Axxent System for the treatment of endometrial cancer, was also among the first in the country to use the system in the treatment of early stage breast cancer, and has seen positive results since it was FDA approved in 2007.
Endometrial cancer is a disease in which malignant cells grow in the lining of a woman’s uterus, affecting about 40,000 women each year. It is the most prevalent gynecologic cancer in the United States, and is also the fourth most common invasive cancer. It is estimated that nearly two-thirds of these cases are eligible for treatment with electronic brachytherapy.
The most common treatment is surgery, however, additional types of treatment are often used following surgery to prevent tumor recurrence or if it is considered to be an aggressive form of cancer. These treatments include traditional radiation, chemotherapy or hormone therapy. When radiation therapy is determined to be the most appropriate course of action, women will undergo radiation treatments that can often last up to five weeks and then use vaginal cylinder implant treatment. In some patients we use vaginal cylinder implant treatment alone.
Yakub Puthawala, MD, a radiation oncologist with Rhode Island Hospital, says, “This treatment is revolutionary in the way we provide care to women with endometrial cancers. Vaginal brachytherapy for endometrial cancer is well accepted and we are excited to be the first cancer center to offer this wonderful new electronic treatment option.” He also notes, “We believe our patients will find it comforting that we can be in the room with them, unlike other forms of radiation treatment. It allows us to provide more compassionate care.”
For more information, call the Rhode Island Hospital Radiation Oncology department at 401-444-8311 or visit the web site at http://www.rhodeislandhospital.org/.
Founded in 1863, Rhode Island Hospital (http://www.rhodeislandhospital.org/) is a private, not-for-profit hospital and is the largest teaching hospital of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. A major trauma center for southeastern New England, the hospital is dedicated to being on the cutting edge of medicine and research. Rhode Island Hospital ranks among the country’s leading independent hospitals that receive funding from the National Institutes of Health, with research awards of nearly $27 million annually. Many of its physicians are recognized as leaders in their respective fields of cancer, cardiology, diabetes, neurology, orthopedics and minimally invasive surgery and radiation oncology. The hospital’s pediatrics division, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, has pioneered numerous procedures and is at the forefront of fetal surgery, orthopedics and pediatric neurosurgery. Rhode Island Hospital is a founding member of the Lifespan health system.
Rhode Island Hospital
CONTACT: Nancy Cawley, +1-401-444-4039, [email protected], for RhodeIsland Hospital
Web site: http://www.rhodeislandhospital.org/
Comments