Breakthrough in Germany for brain cancer - nuclear radiation

My sister was diagnosed in November 2008 with Oligoastrocytoma 2/3. She lives in Germany. She has just read that there is a breakthrough in treatment. There is a new kind of nuclear radiation available. This is no longer clinical but to be used on patients. Even the public health insurance of Germany pays for it. She still does not know much about it as it was just broadcast a few days ago. So she does not know who is eligible for it, if you have to be far advanced or what. I have a link to the article in German so if can have some translate it for you to understand it or I can ask my sister to translate it.

http://de.news.yahoo.com/26/20091101/thl-stromfresser-gegen-

It would be interesting to know what this article says since it mentions so many different places in the US.  I have a feeling it must be something available here or in trials.  It also mentions Sept 11th which is unusual.  If your sister is in Germany has she looked into the novocure trial.  It has been approved in Italy, Switzerland and other European countries.

http://www.novocuretrial.com/

I wonder if it is either the proton radiation therapy or the novocure.

Sarah

I am going to ask her tomorrow morning to get more details. I do know that the center is in Heidleberg and that two more centers are going to be built. That each center costs 120 million euros. I will ask her to translate the article that I posted.

I will also forward her the link on NovoCure. Thanks for sending it.

From my sister:

Heidelberg( dpa) - In the fight against cancer, a big complex for  therapy with Ion based-radiation will be opened. The Heidelberger- Iontherapy- Center( HIT) has the capacity to treat 1300 patients yearly .

The costs and energy use are horrendous; The cost for the Device is around 119 Million Euros, the energy consume consists with that of a city with a population of 20 000 people.  The plant , as complex as an airbus , is according to the clinic , one of its kind world wide.

With the device , cancer patients with seldom or diffucult to operate tumors could have radiation applied ,with use of an accelerator ,with protons and heavy ions. Special software calculate per CT Scan , so that the  Radiation dosis  could be applied in exact mm  coverage.

In the developing phase of the pilotstudy in Darmstadt for the Heidelbergercomplex, 450 Braintumor patients have already been treated with Ion-radiation.

The costs of a single therapy is around 20 000 Euro and will be covered by all insurance companies.

Further Ion- Radiation- Complexe are being planned for Marburg- Giessen and Kiel.

I translated it the best i could

Will send the link with the adress and website of the clinic. It is the first to treat in this manner!

Here is the link to their website and they have it in several languages including English:

http://www.klinikum.uni-heidelberg.de/Heidelberger-Ionenstra