Medical technology company Carl Zeiss Meditec will showcase its innovative cancer radiotherapy system at InnovHealth, the Middle East Healthcare Innovations Summit, which is endorsed by the UAE’s Ministry of Health. The Summit will take place from April 25th – 26th 2010, at the Yas Island Rotana in Abu
Dhabi.
Carl Zeiss Meditec’s ground breaking radiotherapy system, called Intrabeam, offers the least disruptive treatment method available to patients being treated for early stage breast cancer.
According to the head of radiotherapy at Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dr. Dietrich Wolf: “InnovHealth gives us a platform on which to present our most innovative product, the Intrabeam radiotherapy system, to medical professionals from around the region. In tough economic times, hospitals are looking for innovative products that will optimise workflow. The Intrabeam system will certainly assist doctors specialising in cancer treatment.”
He continued: “For the patients, Intrabeam offers a totally new form of cancer treatment which we believe is highly effective and less invasive than more traditional treatments.”
The Intrabeam system’s radiation dose is administered to the tumor bed in the operating room, e.g. in case of breast cancer following the lumpectomy procedure. The system utilises a miniature X-ray source, a highly flexible support stand and a full range of radiation applicator options. Intraoperative radiation therapy stands out as a method for precise radiation-dose delivery. The surgeon removes the tumor and then places the applicator directly into the tumor bed. By administering the prescribed dose to that site, the highest dose is concentrated within the tissue adjacent to the applicator surface. Following the treatment delivery, the applicator and miniature X-ray source are removed, the surgical site is closed, and the procedure is complete.
According to a 2008 article on eyeofdubai.com, director of breast imaging at John Hopkins Hospital in the United States, Dr. Nagi Khouri said: “Currently in the Arabic World, of those women diagnosed with breast cancer, 80% are in an advanced state, and for the most part incurable.”
He added: “In the western world, of those women diagnosed with breast cancer, 20% are incurable. It’s almost the exact opposite.”
Dr. Khouri revealed that American women had similar statistics to the current situation in the Middle East around 40 years ago. He said his aim was to have the Middle East match the rates found in the United States, which is witnessing a consistent fall in the number of women dying from the disease despite seeing an increase in the number of breast cancer cases being diagnosed.
InnovHealth – Middle East Healthcare Innovations Summit – produced by business information company naseba is the region's most up-to-date healthcare summit, focusing on the latest developments in healthcare product solutions in medical research, technological development, equipment, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals and more. Several high-profile experts will speak at the event, covering a diverse range of topics. Speakers include the director general of the Ministry of Health (UAE), Dr. Salem Al Darmaki; director of Public Health for the Dubai Health Authority, Dr. Ali Hassan Al Marzooqi and vice president of Siemens Healthcare – Middle East, Maurice Faber.
About Carl Zeiss Meditec
Carl Zeiss Meditec is one of the world’s leading medical technology companies and offers innovative technologies and application-
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Josephine Deniau
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