The Radiation Therapy business unit is responsible for the provision of brachytherapy and radiotherapy products all around the globe.
We offer a comprehensive portfolio of brachytherapy products, which comprises permanent prostate implants, so called seeds, in a loose and stranded form, implants for the permanent or temporary treatment of brain tumors as well as ophthalmic applicators for the treatment of eye tumors. Our product range also includes radiotherapy accessories.
Eckert & Ziegler Medical manufactures small, radioactive implants, so called seeds, which are mainly used in LDR brachytherapy for the treatment of localized prostate cancer. The seeds take the form of little capsules containing a minuscule quantity of a radioactive isotope, I-125 (Iodine-125). They are implanted into the prostate, where they remain permanently and destroy the cancer cells.
Several studies have shown that stereotactic brachytherapy with iodine-125 seeds is an elective treatment of brain tumors as well as brain metastasis. Using low dose schemes has sophisticated the seed treatment significantly making it save and a valuable addition to surgery, chemotherapy and other radiation treatments for select patients.
In many centers, brachytherapy is the first choice of treatment for uveal melanomas. This modality is also useful for some retinoblastomas and conjunctival melanomas. With this form of radiotherapy, a radioactive plaque containing ruthenium-106 is sutured to the wall of the eye, adjacent to the tumor, and left in place for several days until the required dose of radiation has been delivered.
Eckert & Ziegler Medical also offers accessories for radiotherapy. These include gold markers in pre-loaded needles that are dedicated to optimize target visualization during external beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy procedures. The placement of markers in soft tissue or organs prior to therapeutic treatments helps to provide for clearer identification of anatomic regions around a purposed treatment site.
Eckert & Ziegler Medical has an advisory role as an entrepreneurial representative of brachytherapy in the CoBra project. This project aims to improve quality of both diagnosis and treatment of localized cancers, by developing a new medical robot prototype for brachytherapy and biopsy under guidance of MRI.
Due Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt and their project about the European standardization on dosimetry for electronic brachytherapy, we are one of five intraoperative systems providers that are being scientifically considered. This will provide us with useful information about our own system, i.e. physical measurements.
A new BRACHYQS project on eye plaque treatments for uveal melanoma using Ru-106 plaques was launched in 2020. The WP22 group is preparing a survey to map and analyze clinical practice, with particular emphasis on dose planning, prescription and source calibration. This report mainly covers ocular brachytherapy using Iodine and Palladium seeds. This working package is supported by the industry, in particular by Eckert & Ziegler.
