The Xoft System, which delivers precisely targeted radiation to tumors, could work against uterus and cervical cancer in addition to the cancers it has already been successful against, according to two studies in Spain.
ICAD, which developed the treatment, agreed to present the results at the 36th Congress of the European Society for Radiotherapy & Oncology in Vienna, May 5-9. The company calls its approach the Xoft Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy (eBx) System. Brachytherapy is the scientific name for delivering internal radiation therapy by means of radioactive seeds or sources using a clinical applicator that is placed near the tumor site.
The Xoft System is a U.S.-approved, isotope-free radiation treatment for cancer anywhere in the body, that uses an X-ray source to deliver radiation therapy instead of radioactive seeds. It has been shown to be effective against early-stage breast cancer, gynecological cancer, and non-melanoma skin cancer. Now researchers at Miguel Servet University Hospital in Zaragoza, Spain, said it may be effective in treating endometrial, or uterus, cancer, and cervical cancer as well.
By delivering radiation directly to areas where it’s needed, the Xoft System preserves healthy tissue.
“This new clinical data analysis of endometrial and cervical cancer patients treated with the Xoft System at a European facility presents encouraging results that support the valuable benefits of this innovative treatment option,” Ken Ferry, iCAD’s CEO, said in a news release. “These new preliminary data add to the growing body of global research highlighting the Xoft System’s clinical value to patients and clinicians alike.”
One of the studies, “Acute Toxicity With Xoft Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy (XB) In Endometrial Or Cervical Cancer,” showed promising results in 29 endometrial or cervical cancer patients treated with Xoft for a year — between September 2015 and September 2016.
The other study, “Comparison Of Brachytherapy Sources Of Endometrial Cancer: Electronic Brachytherapy Source And 192Ir,” demonstrated that the Xoft system delivers a lower radiation dose to healthy tissue surrounding a tumor than other radiation methods.
“The Xoft System is able to precisely target cancer cells and spare surrounding healthy tissue, resulting in a significant reduction in the radiation dose that reaches organs at risk,” said Dr. Agustina Mendez Villamon, the author of the study. “Our early results with this targeted technology are very promising, and we are pleased to offer this valuable treatment option to appropriately selected patients with endometrial and cervical cancer in Spain.”
The American Cancer Society estimates that 12,820 new cervical cancer cases will be diagnosed in the Unites States alone in 2017, and 4,210 women will die of it.
Cervical cancer used to be the most common cause of cancer death for American women. But in the past 40 years, the death rate has decreased by more than half, mainly due to the increased use of the Pap test. Pap tests are screening procedures that spot changes in the cervix before cancer develops, allowing for early treatment.