CAMPBELL, Calif., Oct. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Radiosurgery Society™ (RSS), a non-profit organization of medical professionals dedicated to advancing the science and clinical practice of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and radiosurgery (SRS), will hold its Scientific Meeting on February 23-25 at the La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, Calif.  

Formerly The CyberKnife® Society™ (CKS), the newly-named Radiosurgery Society has been expanded to serve as a forum for discourse within the entire radiosurgery community, including radiation oncologists, radiation physicists, surgeons, and radiation therapists. Accuray and CKS recently agreed to terminate a 9 year exclusive relationship.  This separation in response to the directives of the society's membership, allows the RSS to represent the entire community of medical professionals engaged in advancing the science of focused irradiation using the full spectrum of delivery mechanisms, free of any commercial bias or specific association. In keeping with its mission, the Society will conduct an open academic meeting planned by medical professionals for medical professionals.

"I'm pleased that the Radiosurgery Society is hosting this event.  Such meetings are important as the rapidly evolving outcome data characterizing stereotactic radiation treatments must be regularly vetted and scrutinized among thought leaders, providers, and patient advocates alike," said Robert D. Timmerman, M.D., Professor of Radiation Oncology and Neurosurgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

This year's meeting will include a unique program, "The Showdown at La Costa: Has SRS Arrived?"  Leading clinicians will present their clinically proven techniques for delivering radiosurgery in the treatment of brain, lung, liver and prostate cancer, and contrast these with other treatment approaches.  There will be ample time for debate and audience interaction with Q&A.  "Especially in high risk patients with early stage lung cancer, radiosurgery is an effective alternative to open surgical resection," said Dr. Robert Cerfolio, Professor and Chief of Thoracic Surgery at University of Alabama at Birmingham.  "The RSS provides a unique forum for diverse specialties to discuss and debate the appropriate utilization of this increasingly important therapeutic intervention."

A focused Physics Session will run concurrent to the General Session allowing for the maximum number of technical presentations. Topics include: Optimal Imaging Techniques for SRS and SBRT Treatment Planning; Respiratory Motion Management Techniques; Radiobiology workshop; and Technology Overview by leading experts.  Dr. Jack Fowler, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor, University of Wisconsin, will deliver the Key Note Address.

The Radiosurgery Society has gained the support of other community leaders, including Varian Medical Systems (NYSE:VAR) and Elekta (Nordic Stock Exchange: EKTAb).

"Radiosurgery is an expanding and increasingly important therapeutic tool for treating cancer and other diseases," said Tim Guertin, president and CEO of Varian Medical Systems. "We look forward to supporting the Radiosurgery Society as it carries out its mission to improve patient outcomes through innovation and clinical research in this therapeutic modality."

"Given Elekta's long standing history and pioneering intracranial radiosurgery efforts, we are proud to support the Radiosurgery Society in fostering scientific data exchange and continually improving the standards of cancer care," says Jay Hoey, Executive Vice President, Elekta Region North America. "Stereotactic body radiotherapy holds tremendous potential and we're pleased to provide the clinical community with the tools necessary to safely and effectively approach this rapidly evolving technique." 

Those interested in learning more about the Radiosurgery Society's Scientific Meeting can visit www.therss.org.

About The Radiosurgery Society™

The Radiosurgery Society (RSS) – formerly The CyberKnife® Society™ - is an independent, multi-disciplinary non-profit organization of surgeons, radiation oncologists, physicists, and allied professionals, who are dedicated to advancing the science and clinical practice of radiosurgery. Originally formed in 2002 and becoming a non-profit (501c6) in 2008, the Radiosurgery Society today represents over 700 members who perform stereotactic body radiotherapy and radiosurgery in hospitals and freestanding centers throughout the world. 

The Institute for Medical Education(SM) is accredited by the Institute for Medical Quality/California Medical Association (IMQ/CMA) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Institute for Medical Education takes responsibility for the content, quality and scientific integrity of this CME activity. www.ime-cme.com

SOURCE The Radiosurgery Society