iCAD Launches National Educational Program to Increase Awareness of the Effective Use of Electronic Brachytherapy for the Treatment of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer

NASHUA, N.H., Sept. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- iCAD, Inc. (Nasdaq: ICAD), an industry-leading provider of advanced image analysis, workflow solutions and radiation therapy for the early identification and treatment of cancer, today announced the launch of a multi-platform educational campaign to raise awareness of a range of topics associated with the use of electronic brachytherapy (eBx) as a treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), including basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The program, called "Understanding the Effectiveness of eBx," will include clinical updates, company sponsored editorial content, social media outreach, patient case studies and other activities to provide both clinicians and patients with comprehensive and accurate information about the benefits of eBx for appropriate patients with NMSC.

"In recent months there has been a strong focus on the use of eBx for the treatment of NMSC in the media, however some of the information presented has been inaccurate or confusing for both clinicians and patients," said Ken Ferry, CEO of iCAD. "Our goal with the new 'Understanding the Effectiveness of eBx' awareness campaign is to provide clinicians and patients with clear, accurate and useful information about the benefits of eBx for appropriate patients with NMSC. We will also provide perspectives from many patients and clinicians about their experience with eBx."

iCAD manufactures the Xoft^® Axxent^® Electronic Brachytherapy (eBx^®) System, which is FDA cleared, CE marked, and licensed in Canada, for the treatment of cancer anywhere in the body, including early-stage breast cancer, gynecological cancers, and NMSC. While the primary treatment option for both BCC and SCC is surgery, eBx is positioned as an alternative treatment option for many patients for whom non-surgical treatment could be both desirable and advantageous.

Treatment with Xoft eBx uses a proprietary miniaturized x-ray source that delivers isotope-free (non-radioactive) radiation treatment directly to cancerous areas while minimizing the impact to healthy tissue and organs.  This painless, non-invasive treatment offers excellent clinical outcomes and several patient benefits, including convenience and excellent cosmetic results.  In recent years the use of eBx has expanded as more clinicians and patients have seen the benefits of treatment for patients for whom surgery is not an optimal option.  The "Understanding the Effectiveness of eBx" program will include updates and expert opinions on several important considerations in the use of eBx for NMSC, including recent trends in adoption, patient selection criteria, multi-disciplinary collaboration, clinical data, the risk of recurrence, side effects and patient outcomes.

According to the American Brachytherapy Society, ideal candidates for non-surgical NMSC treatment options such as eBx include patients with lesions in anatomically challenging locations (ear, nose, scalp, neck), medical conditions that can cause difficulties in wound healing (diabetes, peripheral vascular disease), medical comorbidities that may preclude them from surgery, treatment with anticoagulants or with pacemakers, or patients who are not interested in pursuing surgery.ⁱ 

Candidates for skin eBx should meet specific selection criteria and be treated under IRB-approved protocol to ensure that they are treated in accordance with all federal, institutional, and ethical guidelines.

"In this program we will also share the stories of many of the thousands of patients who have been treated with Xoft eBx," Mr. Ferry said, adding, "We will provide updates on the long-term data showing important trends in patient outcomes and we will discuss the critical need for treating physicians to work closely with patients to make the right treatment decisions related to eBx.  We look forward to sharing information about eBx at upcoming medical meetings including ASTRO, ASDS, and RSNA and throughout the coming year."

About Xoft Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System

The Xoft System is an isotope-free radiation treatment that is FDA cleared, CE marked, and licensed in Canada for the treatment of cancer anywhere in the body, including treatment of early-stage breast cancer, gynecological cancers and non-melanoma skin cancer. It utilizes a proprietary miniaturized x-ray as the radiation source that delivers precise treatment directly to cancerous areas while sparing healthy tissue and organs. The Xoft System requires only minimal shielding and therefore does not require room redesign or construction investment. Minimal shielding also allows medical personnel to remain in the room with the patient during treatment. The mobility of the Xoft System makes it easy to treat patients at multiple locations and to easily store the system when not in use. Xoft is a wholly owned subsidiary of iCAD, Inc. For more information about Xoft visit www.xoftinc.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @xofticad.

About iCAD, Inc.

iCAD delivers innovative cancer detection and radiation therapy solutions and services that enable clinicians to find and treat cancers earlier and faster while improving patient outcomes. iCAD offers a comprehensive range of upgradeable computer aided detection (CAD) and workflow solutions to support rapid and accurate detection of breast, prostate and colorectal cancers. iCAD's Xoft® Axxent® Electronic Brachytherapy (eBx®) System® is a painless, non-invasive technology that delivers high dose rate, low energy radiation, which targets cancer while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue. The Xoft System is FDA cleared, CE marked, and licensed in Canada for the treatment of cancer anywhere in the body, including treatment of early-stage breast cancer, gynecological cancers and non-melanoma skin cancer. The comprehensive iCAD technology platforms include advanced hardware and software as well as management services designed to support cancer detection and radiation therapy treatments. For more information, visit or www.icadmed.com or www.xoftinc.com.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Certain statements contained in this News Release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to the Company's ability to defend itself in litigation matters, to achieve business and strategic objectives, the risks of uncertainty of patent protection, the impact of supply and manufacturing constraints or difficulties, uncertainty of future sales levels, protection of patents and other proprietary rights, the impact of supply and manufacturing constraints or difficulties, product market acceptance, possible technological obsolescence of products, increased competition, litigation and/or government regulation, changes in Medicare or other reimbursement policies, risks relating to our existing and future debt obligations, competitive factors, the effects of a decline in the economy or markets served by the Company; and other risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The words "believe", "demonstrate", "intend", "expect", "estimate", "will", "continue", "anticipate", "likely", "seek", and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on those forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statement was made. The Company is under no obligation to provide any updates to any information contained in this release. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by iCAD, please see the disclosure contained in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available on the Investors section of our website at http://www.icadmed.com and on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.

Contact:

For iCAD investor relations:

The Ruth Group
Zack Kubow, 646-536-7030
www.theruthgroup.com
[email protected]

or

For iCAD media inquiries:

Berry & Company Public Relations, LLC
Jess Burns, 212-253-8881
[email protected]

Sara Zelkovic, 212-253-8881
[email protected]

ⁱ Ouhib Z., Kasper M., Perez Calatayud J., Rodriguez S., Bhatnagar A., Pai S., Strasswimmer J. Aspects of dosimetry and clinical practice of skin brachytherapy: The American Brachytherapy Society working group report.  Brachytherapy 2015.

SOURCE iCAD, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.icadmed.com