Elekta Technology at Work in 100 Percent of America's Top Cancer Hospitals

ATLANTA, Aug. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report recently issued its annual list of America's best hospitals, including the country's top-ranked hospitals for cancer. All 50 of these cancer hospitals are users of Elekta solutions, which include advanced information management, treatment planning, brachytherapy and treatment delivery.

"Consistently ranking among the best in any care delivery category is testament to the dedication and commitment of a healthcare organization," says Jay Hoey, Executive Vice President, Elekta North America. "We congratulate these hospitals for their great service to patients, are we are honored that these organizations ranking the best in cancer care delivery, in particular, have chosen Elekta solutions to treat their patients."

U.S. News & World Report grades hospitals not on routine procedures but on how well they manage complex, demanding situations. The 2,227 hospitals that met the initial selection criteria received a score between 0 and 100. This score was based on the hospitals' reputation, patient safety and care-related factors such as nursing and patient services. The 50 highest-scoring hospitals were ranked.

These hospitals were ranked in 16 specialties such as cancer, orthopedics, urology and heart disease. Only 148 hospitals – of the 4,793 in the original analysis – scored high enough to be ranked in even one of the 16 specialties. Of these hospitals, an Honor Roll of 17 Best Hospitals was chosen, all of which provide care with the help of an Elekta solution.

In the top-50 cancer specialty hospitals listed, all 50, or 100 percent, utilize Elekta equipment or software, including:

• Leksell Gamma Knife® or Leksell Gamma Knife® Perfexion™, a non-invasive method for treating brain tumors and other neurological disorders. Finely adapted to intracranial radiosurgery, Leksell Gamma Knife is preferred for its accuracy, efficiency and outstanding therapeutic response. 26 of the top 50 cancer hospitals listed (52%) are Gamma Knife users.  
• Elekta Infinity™, a digital linear accelerator optimized for VMAT. Offering rapid IMRT treatment delivered in single or multiple arcs that more precisely targets the tumor while protecting surrounding healthy tissue, Infinity delivers superior dose conformance, treatment speed and ultra low dose safeguards.
• MOSAIQ®, an oncology information system that centralizes radiation oncology, particle therapy and medical oncology patient data into a single user interface, accessible by multi-disciplinary teams across multiple locations. 26 of the top 50 cancer hospitals listed (52%) are MOSAIQ users.
• Monaco® is a state-of-the-art IMRT, VMAT and SBRT planning solution that brings new concepts to the clinic.  Monaco features innovative biological cost functions with multi-criterial constrained optimization, a powerful leaf sequence optimizer and a robust Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm. Monaco helps make the planning process easier, more straightforward and clinically reliable.
• Clarity®, a non-invasive, non-ionizing image guidance technology that provides soft tissue visualization and is compatible with any existing linac. By providing clear soft tissue imaging of target anatomy, Clarity eliminates the need for invasive fiducial markers or added X-ray imaging dose.
• Oncentra® Brachy*, a volume-based treatment planning for HDR/PDR brachytherapy that improves workflows and reduces planning time by automatically reconstructing the radiation applicator's exact geometry using a 3D library.

U.S. News & World Report has issued the annual rankings of medical centers for 23 years. The complete rankings can be viewed at usnews.com/besthospitals.

*Oncentra Brachy is not for sale in all markets.

For further information, please contact:
Stina Thorman, Vice President Corporate Communications, Elekta AB
Tel: +46 8 587 254 37, email: [email protected]
Time zone: CET: Central European Time

Michelle Joiner, Director, Global Public Relations and Brand Management, Elekta
Tel: +1 770-670-2447, email: [email protected]
Time zone: ET: Eastern Time

About Elekta
Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems for radiation therapy, radiosurgery and brachytherapy, as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer care. Stretching the boundaries of science and technology, providing intelligent and resource-efficient solutions that offer confidence to both healthcare providers and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save patient lives.

Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 6,000 hospitals worldwide. Elekta employs around 3,300 employees globally. The corporate headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker EKTAb. Website: www.elekta.com.

SOURCE Elekta