Carl Zeiss Meditec takes prestigious 2010 Spine Technology Award for developing, together with the University of Mannheim, alternative ways of treating spine metastases with a new clinical application of the Carl Zeiss INTRABEAM® system

The trade publication Orthopedics This Week recently announced the winners of its crystal Best Spine Technology of 2010 awards in Orlando, Florida, an event that saw Carl Zeiss Meditec (CZM) honored in the Minimally Invasive Care category for its INTRABEAM radiation therapy system. The results of the international TARGIT-A trial, which were published this year, convincingly demonstrated the efficacy of INTRABEAM – an innovative radiotherapy technology developed by Carl Zeiss – in the treatment of breast cancer. INTRABEAM radiation therapy is now also achieving promising preliminary results in the treatment of spine metastases. For the first time, the INTRABEAM system provides physicians with a gentle and minimally invasive procedure that employs targeted intraoperative radiation therapy (TARGIT) to treat extremely painful spine metastases. By combining surgery and radiation therapy, surgeons can simultaneously stabilize the vertebrae affected by cancer, thereby reducing the pain experienced by patients and restoring some degree of mobility – of which significantly enhances patients’ quality of life.

Dr. Ludwin Monz is delighted to see CZM receive such a prestigious international award in the field of spine column surgery: “INTRABEAM is already being successfully used for intraoperative radiation therapy in breast cancer treatment, and its use in the field of spine metastases heralds a new and very promising use of the INTRABEAM radiation therapy system. We are very excited to receive this award from the USA – the winners were chosen by a committee of American experts and opinion leaders in the field of spine therapy, and we are pleased that they highlighted the innovative nature of our new application, particularly in regard to its clinical relevance.”
 

Pilot study demonstrates first successful results
The combined approach involves treating painful spine metastases with targeted intraoperative radiation therapy using the INTRABEAM system while simultaneously using kyphoplasty to stabilize the vertebrae destroyed by tumor invasion by shoring them up with bone cement. “Patients benefit from considerable pain relief, greater mobility and an improvement in their overall state of health,” says Professor Dr. Udo Obertacke, who heads the Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery at the University Medical Centre Mannheim. The technique was developed in collaboration with Mannheim University Hospital, and the pilot study revealed that the combined intervention was capable of achieving stabilization of the spine while minimizing the stress experienced by patients. Professor Frederik Wenz, head of the Clinic for Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology at the University Medical Centre Mannheim, adds: “This new form of radiation therapy with INTRABEAM provides our patients with a gentle method of treating spine metastases. I am delighted that we and Carl Zeiss have managed to get this innovative approach up and running.”