US-based Mevion Medical Systems has received approval from Health Canada for its S250 proton therapy system, which is claimed to be the first system to obtain a medical device license in the country.
Approved to treat cancer patients in the country, Mevion S250 is said to include the same capabilities of expensive proton therapy systems with a smaller footprint and lower capital and operational costs, noted the company.
Mevion Medical Systems president and CEO Joe Jachinowski said: "Proton therapy is a game-changing cancer treatment that specifically targets tumor cells, sparing the healthy cells nearby and potentially reducing the side effects caused by conventional radiation therapies.
"The Mevion S250 represents the most innovative development in proton therapy systems and a market shift away from the large, costly systems that are rapidly becoming obsolete technology."
The company installed its first Mevion S250 at the S. Lee Kling Proton Therapy Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis of Missouri, US.
Proton therapy targets cancer cells more precisely, compared to traditional photon radiation treatment, and causes less damage to surrounding healthy tissue and organs.
Due to this, it is being used to treat pediatric patients and adult patients with cancers in sensitive locations such as near the brain, spine, heart, and lungs.
In 2014, around 97,700 men and 93,600 women were diagnosed with cancer in Canada, according to the Canadian Cancer Society, while the Childhood Cancer Canada Foundation reported that there are about 10,000 children with cancer in the country.
Image: MEVION S250 is the first proton therapy system to receive a Health Canada medical device license. Photo: courtesy of Mevion Medical Systems.