ORLANDO, Florida, May 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Brachytherapy is now accessible to a wider array of clinics and hospitals thanks to MDS Nordion. The company is introducing its GammaMedplus(TM) 3/24 remote afterloader device at the 23rd American Brachytherapy Society annual meeting beginning May 22 in Orlando, FL. The new device will help these facilities overcome what are often barriers to acquiring brachytherapy equipment: cost and complexity.

The release of the GammaMedplus 3/24 follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance on May 6, 2002, of a new breast brachytherapy treatment using a single catheter that requires only one channel in a remote afterloading device. The GammaMedplus 3/24 is capable of treatments requiring three channels or less. The device can accommodate almost all intracavitary and intraluminal sites, including vagina, cervix, lung, esophagus, rectum, bile duct, nasopharynx and breast. This represents approximately 85% of all HDR brachytherapy treatments.

High-dose-rate brachytherapy is an important treatment modality in the fight against cancer. Due to budgetary constraints, some facilities have not acquired complex brachytherapy systems with high-end treatment planning software. In addition, it takes a considerable time investment to develop the necessary expertise and to integrate this treatment modality into a clinic's practise.

The MDS Nordion GammaMedplus 3/24 addresses both of these concerns in a comprehensive yet simple package. The 3/24 afterloader is a modified version of MDS Nordion's 24-channel GammaMedplus, which has set the industry standard for performance and reliability. The GammaMedplus 3/24 allows for treatments requiring a maximum of three channels and delivers the same precision and optimal results at a fraction of the cost. The GammaMedplus 3/24 package also includes Microsoft Windows(TM)-based treatment planning software, applicators, radioactive sources, installation and training.

"The GammaMedplus 3/24 will make brachytherapy technology accessible and more affordable to more centres. Therefore, a greater number of patients will have access to an increasingly important treatment modality," said Ken Johnson, Senior Vice President of Therapy Systems at MDS Nordion. "Also, clinics will not be limiting themselves. If at some point, a clinic would like the capability to treat more complex cases that require more than three channels, the 3/24 can be upgraded on-site to a 24-channel GammaMedplus."

Brachytherapy is the delivery of radiation through the placement of one or more very tiny radioactive sources (also referred to as seeds) in or around the cancerous tumor. HDR brachytherapy uses a computer-driven device to send one high-energy, radioactive source into or near the tumor to stay for set amounts of time before it is pulled back into the device. The process delivers a large dose directly to the tumor site and minimizes the impact on the surrounding healthy tissue and organs.

MDS Nordion (www.mds.nordion.com) is a global healthcare company specializing in radioisotopes, radiation and related technologies used to diagnose, prevent and treat disease. The company is part of MDS Inc., (NYSE: MDZ - News; TSX:MDS - News) an international health and life sciences company that is focused on fighting disease in numerous ways. Its products and services include: laboratory testing, imaging agents for nuclear medicine testing, sterilization systems for medical and consumer products; research and clinical development services for planning and delivery of cancer treatment, analytical instruments to assist in the development of new drugs, and medical/surgical supplies. MDS employs more than 10,000 highly skilled people at its global operations on four continents.

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CONTACT:
David Gill, Product Specialist, HDR Brachytherapy, Therapy
Systems, MDS Nordion: 1 (510) 388-8848; Paula Burchat, Manager, Media &
Public Relations, MDS Nordion: 1 (613) 592-3400 ext. 2881