iCAD announced positive momentum for its Xoft Electronic Brachytherapy (eBx) System in international markets with the adoption of eight systems for early-stage breast cancer treatment with intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) during the third quarter of 2015.
This includes four systems in Bulgaria, two systems in Taiwan, and the first systems sold in Turkey and Australia. The Xoft System is now treating patients in seven countries around the world. Outside of the United States, 23 centers are actively treating patients with the Xoft System.
"Globally, an increasing number of treatment centers are striving to offer the most technologically advanced cancer treatments available," said Ken Ferry, CEO of iCAD. "We look forward to building on the momentum we have established with our international partners to continue to increase patient access to IORT in expanded markets worldwide in 2016."
The Xoft System is FDA cleared, CE marked, and licensed in a growing number of countries for the treatment of cancer anywhere in the body, including early-stage breast cancer, nonmelanoma skin cancer, and gynecological cancers.
Using electronic brachytherapy, the Xoft System offers IORT, a procedure in which early-stage breast cancer is treated with just one dose of targeted radiation. Traditional breast cancer treatment involves daily radiation five days per week, for six to eight weeks. IORT allows radiation oncologists and breast cancer surgeons to work together to deliver a full dose of radiation at the time of lumpectomy for eligible patients.
A growing body of favorable clinical data supports the use of IORT in candidates meeting specific selection criteria. iCAD is currently conducting one of the largest IORT clinical studies to date using the Xoft System, which compares Xoft IORT to traditional external beam radiation therapy. The Xoft System also offers a painless, non-invasive treatment for nonmelanoma skin cancer.
The Xoft System is able to treat a wide range of cancers as its proprietary miniaturized x-ray source can be inserted into a variety of applicators that are specifically designed for different treatment areas. With IORT, the x-ray source is inserted into a flexible balloon-shaped applicator, then temporarily placed inside the lumpectomy cavity for the duration of the treatment, which can last as little as eight minutes.
"We look forward to offering treatment with the Xoft System to our patients, as the technology offers a number of unique benefits to patients and clinicians," said Prof. Toshko Delyinski, surgeon at the Dr. Georgi Stranski Hospital in Pleven, Bulgaria, one of the four new Xoft customers in the country.
"For patients, the Xoft System offers added convenience, reduced treatment times and fewer side effects, as compared to traditional radiation therapy. Additionally, the Xoft System can be easily transported around the facility and requires minimal shielding, allowing it to be easily incorporated into any clinical practice."