For Immediate Release
For more information, contact:
Cheri Winchester at 636.530.1235
cwinchester@commongroundpr.com
Top Universities to Test New Technology Targeting Prostate Cancer
St. Louis, Mo. (Sept. 19, 2005)- Ten top hospitals, including seven of the nation's leading urological centers, announced they will test a new FDA-approved prostate diagnostic and treatment device in the hopes of achieving earlier detection of prostate cancer. The Prostate Cancer Biopsy Study will utilize the TargetScanT Bendable Needle and Guide System, proving the device's efficacy in identifying cancer from the first biopsy, versus conventional techniques which can leave cancer undetected through multiple additional biopsies.
Participating universities include: Washington University School of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical College, University of California at San Francisco, University of Southern California - Norris Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and the University of Michigan.
The 900-patient clinical study will compare TargetScan's biopsy results to clinical outcomes derived from current biopsy methods. A previous pilot study, conducted in May 2005 at Washington University in St. Louis, found that TargetScan better predicts Gleason scores (the most commonly used prostate cancer grading system) compared to traditional biopsy techniques-promoting more accurate and earlier identification of cancer. The study also concluded that TargetScan's ability to conduct repeatable biopsies could significantly improve the patient choices of new cancer-treatments, such as brachytherapy and cryotherapy, which reduce the risks of post-treatment side effects.
Following the current clinical evaluation, TargetScan's developer, St. Louis-based Envisioneering Medical Technologies, will commercially launch the device for clinical use in the 1.3 million prostate biopsy procedures performed annually in the United States.
"We heard the industry's call for a new biopsy system to provide patients with conclusive test results from the first biopsy," said Robert G. Mills, Envisioneering president. "With this study, we are one step closer to offering physicians and patients an effective means for the early detection of prostate cancer. With rapid detection and knowledge of where the cancer is located, physicians can offer patients more treatment options, which inherently enhance the patient's survival rate and reduces the risks of post-treatment side effects."
How TargetScan Works
Combining 3-D image acquisition with a stationary probe, TargetScan allows physicians to plan and execute targeted prostate biopsies using a patented bendable biopsy needle. Comparably, current procedures require urologists to hold and pivot a probe with one hand while performing a needle biopsy with the other hand-forcing physicians to miss potential cancers.
About Envisioneering Medical Technology Based in St. Louis, Mo., Envisioneering Medical Technologies is dedicated to developing, manufacturing and marketing proprietary diagnostic and treatment technology for the physician community. For more information, please visit www.envisioneeringmedical.com.
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