Study Concludes Radiofrequency Ablation Is Effective Local Treatment for Liver
Cancer Patients With Cirrhosis and Small Lesions
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- RITA Medical
Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: RITA) today announced that four separate studies on the
use of its proprietary radiofrequency (RF) ablation technology in treating
patients with liver and lung cancers are scheduled to be presented at the
Radiology Society of North America (RSNA) 89th Scientific Assembly and Annual
Meeting, being held in Chicago, November 30 - December 5, 2003. Riccardo
Lencioni, M.D., a Professor of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at the
University of Pisa in Italy, will present five-year patient survival data in a
paper titled, "Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Cirrhosis: Long-Term Results
of Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation."
Dr. Lencioni said, "These studies should prelude a fundamental shift in
the way we approach unresectable cancers. I started using RF ablation in
liver tumors more than seven years ago. Since then, the evolution of RF
technology along with the increased clinical experience have opened new
frontiers for this minimally invasive technique in the treatment of other
tumor types, involving lung, bone, and kidney. The positive long-term data
being gathered in Europe and the US are powerful indicators that RF ablation
should become an early priority in the treatment continuum for many cancer
patients."
Mr. Joseph DeVivo, President and CEO of RITA Medical Systems commented,
"Awareness among medical professionals of the quality of life and survival
benefits of radiofrequency ablation treatment for cancer patients has been
growing steadily. We believe that the RSNA meeting is an ideal forum to
present this important five-year study to our core audience of radiology
users. We expect that when this study is delivered to oncologists and
radiologists they will seek out more information regarding these benefits for
their patients."
The studies to be presented at the RSNA meeting involving the treatment of
liver cancer are titled, "Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Cirrhosis: Long-
Term Results of Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation," and "Complications of
Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation of Liver Malignancies with Expandable
Multi-Probe Needles: Results of a Multicenter Study." The other two studies,
which are related to lung cancer, are titled, "Percutaneous Radiofrequency
Ablation of Pulmonary Malignancies: A Prospective Multicenter Clinical Trial,"
and "Radiofrequency Ablation of Lung Tumors: Value of Multiplanar CT Imaging
for Optimizing Treatment Protocol."
RITA's RF ablation system enables physicians to deliver monitored and
temperature controlled levels of RF energy into the tissue through an array of
thin electrodes that heat and effectively destroy, or ablate, the targeted
tissue. In many cases, this minimally invasive procedure can be performed
with mild sedation.
About RITA Medical Systems, Inc.
RITA Medical Systems develops, manufactures and markets innovative
products for patients with solid cancerous or benign tumors. The proprietary
RITA system uses radiofrequency energy to heat tissue to a high enough
temperature to ablate it or cause cell death. While the Company's current
focus is on liver cancer and metastatic bone cancer, the Company believes that
its minimally invasive technology may in the future be applied to other types
of tumors, including tumors of the lung, breast, uterus, prostate and kidney.
The Company has received regulatory clearance in major markets worldwide,
including the United States. In March 2000, RITA became the first
radiofrequency ablation company to receive specific FDA clearance for
unresectable liver lesions in addition to its previous general FDA clearance
for the ablation of soft tissue. In October 2002, RITA again became the first
company to receive specific FDA clearance, this time, for the palliation of
pain associated with metastatic lesions involving bone.
The statements in this news release related to the use of the Company's
technology, its expectations regarding doctors' adoption of the technology,
and its expectations regarding the extension of it technology to applications
beyond the liver are forward-looking statements involving risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
in such forward-looking statements. Information regarding these risks is
included in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For further information, please contact: investors, Jill Bertotti,
jill@allencaron.com, or media, Len Hall, len@allencaron.com, both of Allen &
Caron Inc, +1-949-474-4300, for RITA Medical Systems, Inc.; or Don Stewart,
Chief Financial Officer, dstewart@ritamed.com, or Stephen Pedroff, VP
Marketing Communications, spedroff@ritamed.com, both of RITA Medical Systems,
Inc., +1-650-314-3400.
SOURCE RITA Medical Systems, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.ritamedical.com
CONTACT:
investors, Jill Bertotti,
jill@allencaron.com, or media, Len Hall, len@allencaron.com, both
of Allen & Caron Inc, +1-949-474-4300, for RITA Medical Systems,
Inc.; or Don Stewart, Chief Financial Officer,
dstewart@ritamed.com, or Stephen Pedroff, VP Marketing
Communications, spedroff@ritamed.com, both of RITA Medical
Systems, Inc., +1-650-314-3400
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