ELEKTA SEES RECORD ATTENDANCE AND RECORD NUMBER OF SUBMITTED ABSTRACTS AT INTERNATIONAL LEKSELL GAMMA KNIFE® SOCIETY MEETING IN QUEBEC, CANADA

PRESS RELEASE
Stockholm, Sweden, May 21, 2008

At the 14th International Leksell Gamma Knife® Society Meeting on May 18-22, over 500 participants including neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists and other medical specialists using Leksell Gamma Knife for treatment of tumors and other brain disorders convened at the historic Château Frontenac Hotel in Quebec, Canada. During the meeting, 260 oral and poster presentations covered treatment of malignant and benign brain tumors, functional neurosurgery, imaging & biology as well as physics & technology. On Wednesday, May 21, the prestigious Pioneers in Radiosurgery Award was presented to John Flickinger, M.D., Professor of Radiation Oncology and Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh for his early pioneering work on prediction of complications following Gamma Knife® surgery.

The Leksell Gamma Knife Society was established in 1989 to provide a forum for Gamma Knife users to share information, experiences, clinical techniques and advanced scientific research in their quest to non-invasively treat an expanding number of brain disorders. The meetings, which are held biannually, result in a large number of clinical publications, in recent years published as a supplement to Journal of Neurosurgery. The Society plays an important role in increasing the visibility and acceptance of Gamma Knife surgery in the worldwide medical community, among healthcare providers and among patients. The open sharing of results and experiences allows all Gamma Knife users to maintain leadership in the field of intracranial radiosurgery, based on the most recent clinical advancements.

The 14th meeting in Quebec is held with the theme, “Je me Souviens…” (“I Remember…”), which is the motto of Quebec. The theme connects the celebration of Quebec 400 year long history with the 40 year long history of Gamma Knife surgery.

Pioneers in Radiosurgery Award
John Flickinger, M.D., is Professor of Radiation Oncology and Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, and recipient of this year’s Leksell Gamma Knife Society Pioneers in Radiosurgery Award. Bestowed upon researchers who have consistently pioneered new approaches and methods that enhance the results of Gamma Knife surgery, Dr. Flickinger pioneered the "integrated logistic formula" for prediction of complications in his landmark paper of 1989. He has since conducted numerous studies on dose effects of Gamma Knife surgery in a diverse group of pathologies.

Previous recipients of the Pioneers in Radiosurgery Award include Steven Rasmussen, M.D., and Richard Marsland, R.N. of Butler Hospital, Rhode Island; and Christer Lindquist, M.D., of Cromwell Hospital, London, UK. They were awarded for their work in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder using Gamma Knife surgery.


Leksell Gamma Knife® Perfexion™

During the Society meeting, a special lecture was held by Professor Jean Régis, from University Hospital La Timone in Marseille, France. Professor Régis and his team has now treated over 800 patients with Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion, a new, completely revised and fully robotized Gamma Knife and the most advanced technology for radiosurgery available on the market. The presentation by Professor Régis highlighted the unique dose shaping capabilities of Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion, treating a broader range of targets, much faster and more efficiently than ever before.

Now in clinical use in over 30 locations worldwide, Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion combines the proven precision of the revolutionary Leksell Gamma Knife with a 300 percent expansion in clinical reach to treat a wider range of targets faster and more efficiently than ever before. The system’s unique geometric and dosimetric design simultaneously administers hundreds of beams of low-intensity radiation that converge to deliver a single, therapeutic dose of radiation with pinpoint accuracy to the most difficult targets. Integrated treatment planning and delivery streamlines the radiosurgery process to treat even multiple brain lesions in a single, automated procedure.

Meeting the needs of both neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists, nearly 50,000 patients undergo Gamma Knife surgery every year on the several hundred Leksell Gamma Knife systems installed worldwide. The unique procedure has earned an outstanding scientific track record with thousands of peer-reviewed articles on treatment efficacy, improved quality of life for patients and cost efficiency. In fact, no other alternative treatment in this field has gained greater clinical acceptance.


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