SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 13, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BSD Medical Corp. (Nasdaq:BSDM) today reviewed the encouraging survival rate from clinical research on children and adolescents with cancer as reported by Dusseldorf University Medical School. The University treats childhood cancer using multiple modalities, including hyperthermia therapy delivered by systems manufactured by BSD Medical, to provide a quality of life and standard of care that brings children from across Europe and elsewhere in the world to the University for treatment.
According to the University's Department of Pediatric Oncology: "The last two decades have been characterized by a significant improvement of the diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents with immunologic or neoplastic disorders. Thus, a long term survival is achieved in approximately 85% of children with cancer treated in Dusseldorf. This progress has been accomplished by the establishment of a broad panel of therapeutic modalities...In children with malignant solid tumors, which respond incompletely to standard therapy or relapse, the cytostatic effect of chemotherapy is enhanced by simultaneous hyperthermia of the tumor region (thermochemotherapy). This strategy may facilitate complete tumor resection." The Department of Pediatric Oncology notes further: "The role of thermochemotherapy in the treatment of refractory or recurrent abdominal and pelvic tumors has been evaluated in a clinical research project funded by the German Cancer Aid, and thermochemotherapy has now been integrated as a complimentary part of multimodal therapy."
The University Pediatric Oncology Clinic at Dusseldorf has taken the lead on several national and international studies designed to optimize pediatric oncology therapy. For more than 10 years the Dusseldorf Pediatric Oncology Department has pioneered the application of hyperthermia therapy for treating children's cancers using a standard BSD-2000 for the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas and germ cell tumors. The objectives in using hyperthermia therapy to treat children are: "(1) improvement of local tumor control, (2) avoidance of mutilating surgery and (3) improvement of survival," according to Rudiger Wessalowski, Associate Professor at the Clinic of Pediatric Oncology and head of the university's hyperthermia program. Prof. Wessalowski has noted that for certain children's cancers, standard therapies are often not effective, and relapse therapy is often not effective or available. "This is why young patients from all over Germany and from clinics abroad are transferred to the Dusseldorf center," according to a press release issued by the university clinic.
The University has recently added a new BSD-2000/3D/MR system to further enhance the treatment capacity of its hyperthermia therapy program. The new system integrates a BSD-2000/3D Deep Regional Hyperthermia System with a Siemens 1.5 Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system. The hybrid MR/hyperthermia therapy system is the result of a joint effort in cooperation with Siemens Healthcare. "What makes this unit special is the combination of MRI with a device for administering thermal therapy to the tumor region. This new unit allows a precise imaging of the diseased, affected tissue as well as the neighboring healthy tissue--even in children with small tumors," according to a related press release by the Dusseldorf University Medical School. To accommodate the treatment of children, the system uses a set of reduced-size, special pediatric applicators.
Use of Hyperthermia Therapy at the University of Dusseldorf
According to the University Clinic at Dusseldorf: "Regional hyperthermia, the procedure of raising the temperature of tumor-loaded tissue to 40-44 degrees C, is applied as an adjunctive therapy in combination with various established cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Current research has shown that heat can damage or kill cancer cells in malignant tumors that are recurrent or progressive despite conventional therapy." The Clinic further notes: "The combination of hyperthermia and radiotherapy increases the effectiveness of radiotherapy alone. Hyperthermic temperatures increase blood circulation in tumors as a response to the stimulus of heat. Tumor tissues that have low blood flow are resistant to radiotherapy but are sensitive to hyperthermia, while tumor tissues with high blood flow are sensitive to radiotherapy. This highly complementary interaction is a compelling reason for combining hyperthermia and ionizing radiation."
About BSD Medical Corporation
BSD Medical Corp. is a leading developer of systems used to deliver precision-focused microwave/RF energy to diseased sites in the body, including cancer. Its treatments are used to kill cancer directly and increase the effectiveness of companion radiation treatments for certain tumors. The BSD-2000 is restricted to investigational use in the U.S. For further information visit BSD Medical's website at www.BSDMedical.com.
Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after such date.