FDA clears Nucletron's new VCMC Applicator for gynecologic cancers

During the first day of the annual conference for the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in Miami, Nucletron, an Elekta company, today announced that it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its new Vaginal CT/MR Multi Channel (VCMC) Applicator, offering a brachytherapy solution that enables very precise dose delivery for gynecologic cancers. Combined with Oncentra® treatment planning software this applicator makes it possible to reach new levels of workflow optimization.

"Our new vaginal applicator has been developed to fulfill the wish of many radiotherapists to deliver the radiation dose where it matters most, with greater precision. Thanks to a unique design featuring channels which follow the curve of the applicator tip, health care providers can now deliver radiation directly to the target area, while sparing surrounding healthy tissues," says Jos Lamers, Executive Vice President, Elekta Brachytherapy Solutions. "The recent results of the PORTEC-2 study underlined the role of brachytherapy in preventing cancer recurrence in women following surgery for uterine cancer, while resulting in significantly lower side effects, and significantly better quality of life. The new VCMC will allow health care teams to build on these results in treating women with gynecologic cancers."

Bringing the right dose to the right place is critical in successful vaginal brachytherapy. The Vaginal CT/MR Multi Channel Applicator provides accurate target coverage and maximizes conformity in the treatment of gynecologic cancers. It features Nucletron's Precise Dose Delivery Solution (PDDSTM) technology, an innovative system that loads several source channels in the applicator, with a unique catheter geometry. This results in a dwell position that is very close to the target area, allowing for greater treatment precision. This applicator is designed to optimize the dose distribution to help prevent recurrence, while minimizing toxicity, side effects and impaired quality of life.

The VCMC Applicator is easy to assemble, clean and sterilize and integrates seamlessly with Nucletron's Oncentra treatment planning software. Automatic reconstruction of the exact geometry of the applicator dramatically improves the speed of planning, and ensures precise and reproducible placement of the applicator.