Pancreatic cancer, difficult to detect in the early stages and having incidence of recurring in the postoperative stage, has found an effective treatment in chemo-radiotherapy. Gemcitabine, an effective radio-sensitizer, has led to better results in patients suffering with this form of cancer, increasing survival with a clinical benefit. A study conducted by Pancreatic Diseases Branch of Kyushu University in Japan, using a schedule that infused gemcitabine twice weekly for patients suffering with locally advanced pancreatic cancer gave positive results on the survival rate and median survival time.

Swiss doctors have executed the country’s first clinical treatments using RapidArc™ technology from Varian Medical Systems. Clinicians carried out each patient’s scheduled radiotherapy course using RapidArc. IOSI (Istituto Oncologico della Svizzera Italiana) has become the first non-university European hospital to treat with the use of Varian’s RapidArc. The technology delivers a volumetric intensity-modulated radiation therapy in a single or multiple arcs of the treatment machine around the patient, delivering advanced image-guided IMRT much faster than the conventional IMRT.

Siemens Healthcare will be unveiling the Acuson SC2000 volume imaging ultrasound system, the only one of its kind in the world to capture non-stitched real-time full-volume 3D images of the heart in one single heart cycle, during the European Congress of Radiology, August 30 - September 4, 2008 in Munich, Germany. Called “Echo in a Heartbeat”, this new technological innovation, said Klaus Hambuechen, CEO, Ultrasound, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., allows us to acquire a full volume of the entire heart with 90 degree pyramids. “With a high-volume acquisition rate like this - in one second, every second - acquisition time is dramatically reduced, improving the overall workflow in the echocardiography suite”, he said.

Elekta recently announced that it has received CE Mark clearance to distribute Elekta Compact(TM), the latest addition to its line of treatment systems, offering clinicians an easy to implement more affordable solution for radiation therapy. The clearance from the European Union confirms that Elekta Compact meets the standards for consumer safety. The need for a low energy system in specialized cases made Elekta come up with this product in the range of linear accelerators that has ultra-compact design. It is capable of delivering advanced radiation therapy, especially in markets of developing countries.