Some Free Disease Knowledges

Elekta and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Sign Strategic Multi-Center Radiation Therapy Systems Agreement

June 6, 2008 – 2:43 am

ATLANTA, June 5 /PRNewswire/ — Elekta, a world class leader in
advanced radiation therapy and radiosurgery, has been selected to supply
multiple Elekta Synergy(R) digital linear accelerator systems to Mary Bird
Perkins Cancer Center over the next few years.

The new Elekta Synergy systems will provide expanded capacity for
advanced Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), which Mary Bird Perkins
(MBP) began providing to patients four years ago. The new systems will
provide for MBP’s current locations as well as the organization’s long-term
regional growth into new markets. MBP has locations in Baton Rouge, Hammond
and Covington and is building a fourth location in Gonzales, LA.

Each of the estimated nine new treatment systems will include 3D X-ray
Volume Imaging (XVI) and some will include ElektaVMAT Volumetric intensity
Modulated Arc Therapy, enhancing MBP’s Intensity Modulated Radiation
Therapy (IMRT) and IGRT arsenal.

“We feel that Elekta is ‘first class in its field’ and provides
dynamic, practical and reliable treatment options,” said Todd D. Stevens,
President and CEO, MBP. Every cancer case is unique and personal, and Mary
Bird Perkins makes sure that it has the best radiation therapy options
available to our treatment team so every cancer patient has individualized,
optimal treatment.”

The Center will be treating all types of cancer with the Elekta Synergy
systems, from simple to the most complex cases. Elekta Synergy is a
fully-digital linear accelerator with an integrated 3D imaging system that
simultaneously acquires and reconstructs image data on the target and
surrounding critical structures as a whole volume in a single gantry sweep.
Because imaging occurs at the time of treatment, uncertainties due to organ
motion or deformation and slight differences in patient set-up can be
eliminated.

In its search for the best solution for patient care, Mary Bird Perkins
diligently analyzed all proposals and mobilized a team of expert
physicians, medical physicists, dosimetrists and radiation therapists to
thoroughly research and review all options. “Elekta won a very competitive
award, and we chose them because they offered a better solution for our
patients,” said Dr. Kenneth Hogstrom, chief of physics, MBP.

Joseph K. Jachinowski, President and CEO of Elekta North America
stated: “We are extremely pleased to be able to supply our treatment
delivery devices to Mary Bird Perkins. They have been a long time user of
our Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system and the combination of adding
Elekta Synergy treatment systems with the EMR will further enhance the
integration of the delivery of cancer care benefiting patients across Mary
Bird Perkins’ network of facilities.”

VMAT with Elekta Synergy

MBP makes it a priority to always be a pioneering user of new
technologies that will improve patient outcomes. Elekta Synergy will enable
the institution to implement Elekta VMAT* (Volumetric intensity Modulated
Arc Therapy). This major advancement in radiation therapy surpasses
traditional IMRT techniques by dramatically decreasing treatment times and
providing highly conformal radiation dose distributions.

“In many cases, we feel Elekta VMAT will allow us to produce plans that
are superior to those using conventional gantry-static IMRT deliveries,”
says Dr. John Gibbons, chief of clinical physics, MBP. “We look forward to
helping Elekta deploy the application of VMAT technology for the benefit of
cancer patients in Louisiana.”

Elekta’s VMAT solution will vary the monitor units (MU) per degree and
beam intensities “on the fly” by simultaneously manipulating gantry
position and speed, MLC leaves, dose rate, collimator angle and back-up
diaphragms, all while the treatment beam is on. Additionally, where IMRT
plans consist of several fields, or control points, the VMAT technique
effectively has an unlimited number of fields.

Elekta believes VMAT’s shorter treatment times translate into increased
patient comfort by reducing time spent during treatment.

The Center also is using all available aspects of the MOSAIQ(R) image-
enabled oncology electronic medical record (EMR) system. MOSAIQ supports
and streamlines the entire cancer care work.ow process, from initial
diagnosis and staging through scheduling, planning, treatment, billing and
subsequent follow-up.

*Elekta VMAT is pending FDA 510(k) pre-market clearance and is not yet
available for commercial delivery in the US.

About Elekta

Elekta is an international medical technology group, providing
oncologists, radiation therapists, neurosurgeons and many other medical
specialists with state-of-the-art tools to fight serious disease.

Elekta provides advanced clinical solutions and comprehensive
management and information systems, as well as services for improved cancer
care and management of brain disorders.

Elekta’s systems and solutions are used in more than 5,000 hospitals
around the world. Clinical and information management solutions include,
among others, Leksell Gamma Knife(R) for non-invasive treatment of brain
disorders, Elekta Axesse(TM) for stereotactic radiosurgery or radiotherapy
of the spine and body and Elekta Synergy(R) for advanced intensity
modulated and image guided radiation therapy, as well as the MOSAIQ(TM)
suite of software for image-enabled EMR and efficient management of
clinical and patient data.

With more than 2,500 employees globally, Elekta corporate headquarters
are located in Stockholm, Sweden and the company is listed on the Nordic
Exchange under the ticker EKTAb.

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[Via Healthcare]

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