The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills Unveils 'GPS for the Body' for Prostate Cancer Treatment

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills, a state-of-the-art cancer treatment center serving cancer patients in the Los Angeles area, has become one of the select facilities in the country to offer its patients the Calypso® System, a prostate cancer treatment tool that enables clinicians to track tumor motion in real-time. Calypso enables physicians to confidently reduce treatment margins while escalating dose to the tumor, thereby minimizing the risk of potential side effects.

Developed by Seattle-based Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc., the Calypso System, with its GPS for the Body® technology, utilizes miniature implanted Beacon® transponders to provide precise, continuous information on the location of the tumor during external beam radiation therapy. Calypso's electromagnetic technology is the only real-time guidance solution to keep the treatment precisely focused on the prostate without adding unnecessary radiation. Currently, the Calypso System is cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for use in radiation therapy for the prostate and post-operative prostatic bed; however, the technology is designed for body-wide applications.

"The Calypso System is very precise and works just like a GPS inside the patient's body," said Christopher M. Rose, M.D., Medical Director for The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills. "Until now, clinicians had to rely on image guidance to deliver a snapshot of a tumor's position. With this new technology, electromagnetic transponders enable us to see even the tiniest tumor movements in real-time. That way, we can be sure we're hitting the tumor directly with a carefully targeted beam of radiation and avoiding healthy tissues and organs.

"If the prostate moves while we're delivering the radiation treatment, the tracking system instantly alerts us. That enables us to shut off the radiation and reposition the patient if necessary," Dr. Rose continued. "The system lets us see exactly where the tumor is on a real-time basis, reduces toxicity for the patient, and lessens the potential for rectal and urinary complications. Because it's so targeted, it allows clinicians to deliver the maximum radiation dose while decreasing the risk of side effects. The enhanced targeting enables our group to take patient care to an even higher level."  

"We are proud to collaborate with The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills by equipping them with our state-of-the-art technology. Published clinical studies have demonstrated that the Calypso System ensures more accurate and safer delivery of radiation to the prostate while avoiding healthy tissue and reducing treatment-related side effects. More than 6,000 patients have been treated with the Calypso System and this latest installation will help even more patients receive the benefits of GPS for the Body technology," said Eric Meier, President and Chief Executive Officer at Calypso Medical.

The practice is currently treating patients with this new technology. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills at 310-205-5777 or visit its website at www.rtbh.net.

About The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills

Established in 2006 by Tower Hematology Oncology Medical Group, The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills is centrally located in the heart of Beverly Hills and adjacent to the cities of Santa Monica and Los Angeles. The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills provides oncology patients with state-of-the-art radiation therapy care by a team of highly trained and experienced clinicians. Its above-ground design creates a highly accessible treatment environment. The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills was the first treatment center in Southern California to implement RapidArc™ radiotherapy technology from Varian Medical Systems, a revolutionary breakthrough in cancer treatment that delivers powerful tumor-destroying radiation with unprecedented speed and remarkable precision.

SOURCE The Center for Radiation Therapy of Beverly Hills