This month the 33rd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Hyperthermic Oncology (ESHO 2019), will be held in Warsaw, Poland, at the Warsaw Plaza Hotel, on May 22 - 24, 2019. The conference invites thermal oncology professionals with the extensive clinical and scientific experience to share their experience in the field.
Pyrexar Medical will be represented by our European distribution partner Dr. Sennewald Medizintechnik and Poland distributor HT Systems.
Pyrexar Represented by:
The conference includes over 58 presentations by leading hyperthermia experts. Highlights below:
MR thermometry validation and modeling of a 915 MHz annular phased-array in brain phantoms
Paul Turner
A meta-analysis of clinical trials with hyperthermia
Niloy Datta
Protons and hyperthermia: early clinical results
Zeljko Vujaskovic
Building an international forum to boost hyperthermic research
Stephan Bodis
Quality assurance guidelines for hyperthermia
H. Dobsicek Trefna
Quality assurance assessment: are commercial MR-guided deep-pelvic hyperthermia devices ready for a large clinical trial?
Sergio Curto
QA techniques for radiative deep hyperthermia systems: benefits and limitations of 1D, 2D, and 3D techniques
Gerard van Rhoon
Combined interstitial radiotherapy with interstitial hyperthermia
Andrzej Kukielka
Thermochemoradiotherapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancers: A pilot study
Niloy Datta
Radiotherapy in combination with regional Hyperthermia for Salvage Treatment in refractory Childhood Cancer
Pyrexar Medical would like to congratulate Ruediger Wessalowski, MD and Chris Diederich, Ph.D. for the recent honors awarded them at this year's Society for Thermal Medicine annual conference held in Florida last week.
Dr. Ruediger Wessalowski was awarded the prestigious J. Eugene Robinson Award. The J. Eugene Robinson Award is presented each year to an investigator who has made outstanding contributions to hyperthermic oncology. Dr. Wessalowski practices at the Clinic for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Oncology at the Heinrich-Heine-University (HHU) located in Düsseldorf, Germany. He is honored for his work in pioneering caring and innovative cancer treatment solutions for children and his continuing advacements of hyperthermia best practices. HHU uses the Pyrexar BSD-500, BSD-2000 and the BSD-2000 3D/MR Hyperthermia systems.
Chris Diederich, Ph.D. was honored with the George M. Hahn Award. The George M. Hahn Award is presented every other year to an investigator whose research has contributed in a significant way to new clinical applications in thermal therapy. Professor Diederich is the Director of Clinical Hyperthermia Physics and Thermal Therapy Research at the University of California, San Francisco. The Pyrexar BSD-500 and BSD-2000 hyperthermia systems are in practice at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.
About STM Founded in 1986, the Society of Thermal Medicine is a premier, international scientific forum for fostering interaction and innovation in the study of biological, physical and medical applications of thermal therapy for cancer and other diseases and for facilitating a greater basic understanding of the role of temperature in cellular and molecular function.
Dr. Sennewald Medizintechnik, Pyrexar's European distribution partner, has brought together an impressive program of clinicians to talk about hyperthermia's role in the treatment of cancer, at this years ESTRO 38 (European Society for Radiotherapy & Oncology). The luncheon symposium titled "Hyperthermia in the age of personalized oncology" will be held Saturday, April 27th and is open to all ESTRO attendees (space is limited).
Program outline below:
Introduction
Daniel Zips, UMC Tübingen, Germany
Hyperthermia as immune modulator in multimodal tumor therapies - immune biological rationale
Michael Hader, PhD, UMC Erlangen, Germany
Integration of Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Therapy and Hyperthermia: The University of Maryland Clinical Experience
Zeljko Vujaskovic MD, University of Maryland, USA
Management of locally recurrent Breast Cancers with local hyperthermia and radiotherapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Niloy Datta MD, Canton Hospital Aarau, Switzerland
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with regional deep hyperthermia as the new standard for the treatment of patients with high-risk soft tissue sarcomas
Lars Lindner MD, UMC Munich Grosshadern, Germany
Hyperthermia and preoperative chemoradiation for organ-preservation in rectal cancer patients
Cihan Gani MD, UMC Tübingen, Germany
Discussion and Summary
Stephan Bodis MD, Canton Hospital Aarau, Switzerland
ABOUT ESTRO
Founded in 1980, ESTRO, the European SocieTy for Radiotherapy & Oncology, is a non-profit and scientific organization that fosters the role of Radiation Oncology in order to improve patients’ care in the multimodality treatment of cancer. ESTRO 38 is being held in Milan, Italy, April 26th - 30th, 2019 at the Milan Convention Center.
It is a busy Spring for Pyrexar at the upcoming Conference Events in the US and Europe. These conferences are a gathering of the best in radiation oncology and hyperthermia experts and an excellent resource for those interested in the field of thermal oncology. We will be exhibiting, either directly or via our distribution partners, at the following events
The 36th Annual Meeting of the Society for Thermal Medicine, 33rd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Hyperthermic Oncology, 20th Congress of the Spanish Society of Radiation Oncology, and the 2019 American Brachytherapy Society Annual Meeting will provide an arena for presentations of latest data, concepts, and breakthroughs in our ever-expanding understanding radiation oncology and thermal medicine in the context of engineering, physics, materials science, and biology.
It has been four years since we acquired the hyperthermia division from BSD Medical and started Pyrexar Medical. In addition to getting the technology rights to this life-changing technology; we also acquired a group of great, hardworking people. Pyrexar may be only celebrating year four, but we do this sitting atop four decades of drive, innovation and the desire to give those that are battling cancer, a greater chance at disease-free survival.
We are looking toward achieving great strides in this next year. With that, we have many people to thank, and that includes you. Thank you to all of our supporters, partners, researchers, physicians, physicists, radiation therapists, nurses and administrative staff around the world. To those that continue to believe in the bright future of hyperthermia, and to those who demand the best outcomes for their patients.
Ascension is the largest Catholic health system in the world and the largest non-profit health system in the United States with facilities in 23 states and the District of Columbia. It is a faith-based collaboration of hospitals, medical practices, and innovators that shares best practices and the objective of developing healthier communities throughout the United States by community outreach and researching means of reducing the cost of healthcare.
North Macomb Radiation Oncology Center is located in Macomb Township, Michigan, on the campus of Ascension- St. John Hospital Health Center. They are dedicated to providing their patients with the very best in Radiation Oncology services by combining personalized, compassionate care with our extensive clinical experience and cutting edge therapies. In alignment with there treatment goals, the center has added a BSD-500 Superficial/Interstitial hyperthermia system to aid in the treatment of cancer.
This facility has treated not only patients with common cancers such as breast, prostate, and lung, but also many patients with relatively uncommon cancers such as cancer of the head and neck, lymphoma and gynecological cancers. Amr Aref, M.D., is the Chief of Radiation Oncology for St. John Providence East Region and one of the most experienced radiation oncologists in the Metro Detroit area. Dr. Aref has a special interest in breast cancer, head and neck cancer, and malignant lymphomas and given presentations of his work in those areas at national and international meetings, and they were published in peer-reviewed medical journals.
To find out more about the thermal oncology program at the center, please use the contact link here.
Clinical Hyperthermia Practice Guidelines Workshop The goal of this workshop is to provide practical training for hyperthermia therapy personnel, including physicians, nurses, radiation therapists, and physicists. All speakers have clinical experience in their fields. Lectures from well-known experts on clinical, physics, and biology of hyperthermia will provide participants a comprehensive overview of practice guidelines to deliver safe and effective hyperthermia treatments. This multi-disciplinary workshop will also include talks on clinical workflow and reimbursement. The workshop is the first of its kind organized by STM and is open to STM2019 participants of all thermal therapy backgrounds.
Title
Speaker
How to Establish a Hyperthermia Program
Zeljko Vujaskovic, MD, PhD
Practice Guidelines for Superficial Hyperthermia
Jason K. Molitoris, MD
Practice Guidelines for Deep Hyperthermia
Mark Hurwitz, MD
Practice Guidelines for Interstitial Hyperthermia
John Hayes, MD
Equipment, Planning, and Execution of Microwave Superficial Hyperthermia Treatment
Paul Stauffer, MSEE, CCE
Equipment, Planning, and Execution of RF Deep Hyperthermia Treatment
Dario B. Rodrigues, PhD
Assessment of Hyperthermia Treatments based on Hypoxia Imaging
Mark Dewhirst, DVM, PhD
Clinical Workflow, Documentation and Reimbursement of Hyperthermia Treatments
Siteman Cancer Center now offering superficial and interstitial hyperthermia, using the Pyrexar Medical BSD-500, to their cancer patients. The cancer center is located at the Barnes-Jewish Hospital within the Washington University Medical Center complex in the Central West End area of St. Louis, Missouri.
Although the system will be utilized to treat a variety of indications, Dr. Imran Zoberi, Chief of Hyperthermia Service and Clinical Director of Radiation Oncology at Barnes-Jewish, is targeting recurrent chest wall tumors. Treatment issues for recurrent breast cancer include radiation dosage limitations, post-surgical skin folds, scaring and lesions that can make this form of recurrent breast cancer a challenge to treat. Dr. Zoberi, along with William Straube, Research Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, have been long-time users of hyperthermia as an adjunct to radiotherapy. The new BSD-500 has replaced a retired Labthermics Sonotherm 1000.
According to a randomized phase III clinical trial (Jones study) published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and conclusions of a meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, adding hyperthermia to radiation therapy can potentially double complete response over using radiation alone in recurrent breast cancer.
One of our goals at Pyrexar Medical is to connect and share all of the great advancements in hyperthermia from around the world. We believe that access to information, sharing of data and participating in a global effort can give access to hyperthermia to more people.
We have started a new section on our website called Opinion Leaders. The purpose of this section is to initiate conversation and make new connections among physicians and researchers currently in the field. We want to create a community for those centers who want to add hyperthermia to their standard of care. We also believe this may give researchers an accelerated path to clinical studies by offering a larger patient database.
Current hyperthermia-focused conferences are in place but often lack the critical mass to expand hyperthermia centers in a meaningful way. There also lacks the global data sharing necessary to move phase III studies forward. For example, the Hyperthermia European Adjuvant Trial (HEAT) is a randomized clinical phase III study comparing chemotherapy vs chemotherapy plus hyperthermia in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Initiated in 2012 and with an estimated enrollment of 336 participants, the study hopes to fully populate sometime this year. Seven years to generate a viable population study and another two years of data analysis. Could future studies move more rapidly if we had a global collaboration?
We hope we can advance this concept in the near future. Today, we want you to meet Dr. Nagraj Huilgol, our first entry in our Opinion Leaders directory.
A friendly reminder that the main Hyperthermia Conference Events in the US and Europe are right around the corner. These conferences are a gathering of the best in hyperthermia research and an excellent resource for those interested in the field of thermal oncology.
We just returned from a trip to India to attend the SCRAC (Society of Cancer Research and Communication) meeting in the coastal town of Juhu, Mumbai, India. We had the opportunity to meet radiation oncologists and cancer specialists from the region, and to present our pitch for hyperthermia. We have received positive indications that there will be several Pyrexar Medical Hyperthermia suites installed in India in 2019.
SCARC Conference, Mumbai, India
Pyrexar invited to present at the Society for Cancer Research and Communication (SCARC) meeting in Mumbai
SCRAC Event
Dr. Mitusha Verma of Nanavati Hospital presents an Introduction to MRI Imaging.
Dr. Nagraj G. Huilgol
Also speaking, long time hyperthermia luminary, Dr. Nagraj G. Huilgol, currently the Chief Radiation Oncologist at Nanavati hospital. Dr. Huilgol spoke on use of MRI to study heat-induced changes for diagnostics and MRTI.
Nanavati Team at SCRAC
(left to right) Mr. Ketan Desai (CEO, Kirloskar Technologies); Ms. Neela Pai Dhungad( Clinical Research Coordinator, Incharge of Rehab Counseling & Manager-ACRO); Dr. Nagraji Huilgol (Chief Radiation Oncologist, Nanavati Hospital); Mark Falkowski (CEO, Pyrexar Medical)
Nanavati Super Specialty Hospital
Dr. Rajendra Patankar, COO & Dr. Deepak Patkar (Director, Medical Services & Head of Department of Imaging ) of Nanavati Super Specialty Hospital, Parle West, Mumbai
We had the opportunity to visit Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel, Mumbai. Considered a Top 10 hospital in India.
Visit to Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel
Dr. Suyesh S Kulkarni(Prof & Head, Department of Radiodiagnosos) & colleagues at Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel, Mumbai
Dept. of Radiation Oncology
Pyrexar envoy with Dr. J P Agarwal - Prof & Head, Department of Radiation Oncology at Tata Memorial Hospital
New Cancer Center Opening
Dr. Jigna Bhattacharya and the opening of her new clinic at Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
Cancer Care Team
Radiation Oncologists - Dr. Ashish Kumar, and Dr. Jigna Bhattacharya at the Cancer Care clinic with the Pyrexar Sales Team.
India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2024. Surpassing the population of China, it is expected to be home to more than 1.7 billion people by 2050. With this continuing growth, the demand for health services also grows. The opportunities in the country are vast and it appears hyperthermia has a chance to gain a foothold as a valuable adjunct cancer treatment.
SCRAC 2019 Program
Introduction to MRI Imaging - Dr. Mitusha Verma; Nanavati Hospital Texture analysis - a novel technique in Radio-genomics - Dr. Balaji Ganeshan; Chief Executive Officer TexRAD Ltd UK Introduction to MRI with Hyperthermia - Mr. Mark Falkowski, CEO; Pyrexar Medical MRI to study heat induced changes for diagnostics and MRTI - Dr. Nagraj Huilgol; Nanavati Hospital Group discussion to explore the possibilities to harness heat for diagnostics.
Last month the local affiliate in Salt Lake City, UT (headquarters for Pyrexar Medical) aired a five-part series on the use of hyperthermia in the treatment of cancer. The report focused on one of our customer sites, Gamma West Cancer Services, and their use of interstitial hyperthermia in combination with brachytherapy.
Key points from this series
Hyperthermia is a safe and highly effective cancer treatment
Several patients featured in the story had no expectation of survival before hyperthermia
Excellent adjunct treatment for Brachytherapy with similar treatment planning
We have added English language captions to the video series. This is an excellent opportunity to share this life-saving information on your social media websites. The more individuals that learn about this treatment, the more lives we can change.
Part 5 of the ABC news series on hyperthermia is probably the most important. In the past, we have talked about phase III clinical studies, and have shown peer-reviewed evidence that adding hyperthermia to radiotherapy and chemotherapy improves outcomes and extends life. We know it energizes the bodies immune system to fight the cancer on its own. We know it is well excepted as a cancer treatment in Europe and Asia.
But none of that matters. No matter how effective hyperthermia treatment is, it will not save your mother, your father, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, grandmother, grandfather or your child, if it remains relatively unknown in the U.S. Whether you know it or not, you have a choice in your medical treatment. It takes research and advocacy and the sharing of information. In this news series, you met four people who are here today because someone advocated for them and for hyperthermia.
You can help more people survive cancer. Share this story. Shed some light that there are hyperthermia treatment protocols for most cancers that have solid tumors. Tell people that hyperthermia was once an ancient medical treatment, or that it uses some of the most advanced image-guided technology in medicine. Tell them there are 30 years of scientifically proven evidence, it has FDA approval, its available in university hospitals and cancer centers in this country and can be covered by insurance. Tell them there is a map that will show them where the closest center is located. It is that simple.
Thank you to all of the generous individuals that were involved in making this story happen. Thank you to the ABC Good4Utah news team for taking on topics that help others. To Gamma West Cancer Services for not backing away from patients that others have given up on. And to my co-workers at Pyrexar Medical, particularly Paul Turner, who continues to improve this technology, and has for over 40 years. Thank you.
Pyrexar is working very hard to bring innovation to our products. But nothing is more important than sharing the message of hope that hyperthermia treatment can bring to cancer patients. Although there is a long, successful history of this therapy, few Americans know about it. We want to know why?
Although hyperthermia system sales have been accelerating in the last two years in Asia, Europeans have had a long history of using this technology. In part 4 we meet Professor Dr. Peter Wust of Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin who has been treating patients with hyperthermia for over three decades. The team at Charité are the world's leading experts in this type of cancer treatment. You can learn more about the treatment options at the Charité in their patient brochure.
Pyrexar Medical will be represented by our European distribution partner Dr. Sennewald Medizintechnik and Poland distributor HT Systems.
Dr. Ruediger Wessalowski was awarded the prestigious J. Eugene Robinson Award. The J. Eugene Robinson Award is presented each year to an investigator who has made outstanding contributions to hyperthermic oncology. Dr. Wessalowski practices at the Clinic for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Oncology at the 
Chris Diederich, Ph.D. was honored with the George M. Hahn Award. The George M. Hahn Award is presented every other year to an investigator whose research has contributed in a significant way to new clinical applications in thermal therapy. Professor Diederich is the Director of Clinical Hyperthermia Physics and Thermal Therapy Research at the University of California, San Francisco. The Pyrexar BSD-500 and BSD-2000 hyperthermia systems are in practice at the 
