DFINE Introduces STAR Tumor Ablation System at SIR 2012

SAN JOSE, Calif., Mar 22, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — DFINE, Inc., the developer of minimally invasive radiofrequency (RF) targeted therapies for the treatment of vertebral pathologies, today announced it will debut the STAR™ Tumor Ablation System at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s (SIR) 37th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, March 24-29 (Booth #233).
“The STAR System, using targeted radiofrequency ablation (t-RFA™), is a dramatic step forward in the palliative treatment of patients suffering from the debilitating effects of spinal tumors within the vertebral body. It improves the physician’s ability to offer acute pain relief through the use of a single, minimally invasive procedure that is compatible with both chemotherapy and radiation therapy,” said Kevin Mosher, Chief Executive Officer of DFINE. “Unlike other currently available ablation tools, the STAR System was designed and purpose-built for the palliative treatment of metastatic vertebral body lesions.”
Beyond narcotic administration for pain management and conservative treatment, the primary modality for treating painful spinal metastases has been external beam radiation, which, while effective, may require weeks or months to address the associated pain and disability. In addition, radiation therapy often requires patients suspend chemotherapy treatment of the primary cancer due to the potential effects of cumulative toxicity. The benefits of t-RFA using the STAR System include:
— Minimally invasive, targeted proceder
— Rapid pain relief
— Compatible with current treatment algorithms
— Alternative for patients who have reached their cumulative toxicity limit
— Potential treatment for radio-resistant lesions
— Pain reduction prior to radiotherapy
Metastatic bone disease occurs in up to 85 percent of patients with the three most common types of primary cancer — breast, prostate and lung.(1) The spine is the most common site for bone metastases, with studies showing that metastatic spinal tumors will develop in between 10 percent and 40 percent of all cancer patients, with even higher rates in elderly patients.(2) For patients, this can cause debilitating pain, numbness, and even paralysis as these tumors impinge on neurologic tissue and weaken the structure of the vertebrae. Several post-mortem studies have found metastatic spinal tumors in over 30 percent of all patients who died as a result of cancer and cancer-related causes.(3,4)
A Multi-Disciplinary Approach – “Metastatic Spinal Tumors: Current Practice and Future Directions”
DFINE will sponsor a dinner symposium to explore the importance of integrated interventional therapies in the clinical treatment pathways for patients with metastatic vertebral body tumors on Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis, Foothill G Room.* The symposium, “Metastatic Spinal Tumors: Current Practice and Future Directions,” will be moderated by Francis R. Facchini, M.D., FSIR, Assistant Professor at The Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University and an Interventional Radiologist at VIR Chicago, and will feature a world renowned multi-disciplinary panel with perspectives from experts in medical oncology, radiation oncology and interventional radiology.