ZAP Surgical Systems, Inc. today announced that the Institut du Cancer Courlancy (ICC) in Reims, France will add the latest advancement in non-invasive brain tumor treatments, the ZAP-X® Gyroscopic Radiosurgery® platform, to its current portfolio of cancer treatment technologies.
In a collaboration between the radiation oncology and neurosurgery teams, the site looks to solidify their status as a regional oncology center of excellence by dedicating ZAP-X to the treatment of cranial-based indications, thereby complementing the institute’s existing modern fleet of radiation delivery systems optimized for the treatment of lung, breast, prostate, and other cancers of the body.
Radiosurgery, also referred to as SRS, is a well-studied and effective treatment for many brain cancers, including primary and metastatic brain tumors. For eligible indications, SRS is a completely non-invasive and pain-free alternative to expensive and often debilitating surgeries.
Tailor-made for cranial radiosurgery, the recently introduced ZAP-X system relies on the latest surgical robotic technology and novel gyroscopic mobility to concentrate high-intensity radiation on tumor targets while minimizing incidental radiation exposure to normal brain tissue and nearby healthy organs.
“Differing from conventional body radiotherapy, cranial SRS requires exacting precision to preserve patient neuro-cognitive function as well as protect radio-sensitive organs such as the eyes, optic nerves, and brain stem,” says Dr. Philippe Colin, ICC radiation oncologist specializing in neurosurgical applications and lead clinician for the ZAP-X program. “These meticulous demands are best served by purpose-built SRS technologies such as ZAP-X, which aim to offer greater control and accuracy of radiation delivery.”
“The team looks to treat approximately 500 SRS patients per year, focused primarily on the treatment of metastatic and benign brain tumors,” added Pr. Claude-Fabien Litre, neurosurgeon at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Reims. “We also plan to reinforce our expertise in functional radiosurgery, including radiosurgical thalamotomy, having delivered more than 300 frameless trigeminal neuralgia treatments in the past.”
The ZAP-X system is the first new dedicated cranial radiosurgery platform in nearly half a century. Prior to ZAP-X, state-of-the-art SRS often required hospitals to manage large quantities of expensive and volatile Cobalt-60 for radiosurgery beam generation. ZAP-X eliminates this historical requirement by using leading-edge linear accelerator technology, and thus removes the burdens of perpetual source decay and costs of recurring isotope replacement.
Detailed system videos can be found on Zap Surgical’s YouTube page.