Arizona Radiation Oncology Specialists Now Offers “GPS for the Body” to Help Reduce Side Effects for Prostate Cancer Radiation Patients

Arizona Radiation Oncology Specialists’ Southeast Valley office, which is located at 3645 S. Rome Street in Gilbert, is now offering prostate cancer patients the breakthrough benefits of real-time tumor tracking during external beam radiation with the Calypso System. This state-of-the-art technology, also referred to as GPS for the Body®, may lead to reduced side-effects by enabling physicians to more accurately deliver radiation to the tumor while minimizing exposure to the healthy tissue and organs surrounding the prostate.

The goal of external beam radiation therapy is to focus the radiation beam on the tumor while avoiding the irradiation of surrounding healthy tissue, which may cause serious side effects. However, internal organ motion, which naturally occurs as a result of normal body physiology, may cause the radiation to miss its intended target. The Calypso System, with its GPS for the Body® technology, enables physicians to detect the slightest tumor movement in real-time so a higher dose of extremely accurate radiation therapy can be delivered without damaging healthy surrounding organs and tissues. The result is a reduction in common side effects such as urinary/bowel urgency and frequency and sexual dysfunction. The Calypso System, which is cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for use in radiation therapy for the prostate and prostatic bed, is installed in more than 100 leading medical centers worldwide.

“We are committed to providing our patients with state-of-the-art treatments that maintain or improve quality of life,” said Dr. Gregory Maggass, a radiation oncologist and partner at AROS. “Like many of the organs in our body, the prostate gland is constantly moving. With the precision targeting provided by the Calypso System, extremely accurate radiation can be delivered directly to the tumor while minimizing the risk of any harmful effects on normal tissues. By doing so, we are likely to reduce side effects.”

The key feature of the Calypso System is three Beacon® electromagnetic transponders, each the size of a small grain of rice, which are implanted in the patient’s prostate before radiation therapy is initiated. The transponders communicate with the Calypso System to continuously locate the tumor target and monitor its location during each radiation treatment.

In May 2010, a clinical study published in Urology demonstrated that prostate cancer patients who were treated with radiation and monitored with the Calypso System reported significantly reduced side effects than those whose radiation was not complemented by Calypso.

To view photos of the machine, please visit http://calypsomedical.com/gallery.

About Arizona Radiation Oncology Specialists

Arizona Radiation Oncology Specialists physicians are board certified with over 50 years of experience, who offer leading edge technology for many types of cancer. Arizona Radiation Oncology Specialists has locations in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Gilbert. For more information, please visit www.arizona-radiation-oncology-specialists.com.