Vertec to market SIT products

Vertec Scientific, one of the UK's largest distributors of high technology advanced imaging and radiotherapy systems and consumables is delighted to announce that they will be selling and supporting Sordina IORT Technologies (SIT) products.

An Italian company, SIT SpA was formed by the merger of Sordina, founded in 1878, with New Radiant Technology, a specialist in radiation emitter devices. Drawing on the experience of an organisation that created the first operating table, the first steriliser and the first mobile linear accelerator in history, SIT is now world leader in the manufacture of LINACs for Intra Operative Radiation Therapy (IORT) with high energy electrons (IOeRT) and operates on every continent, with installations, business units, distributors and engineers.

SIT is one of the few worldwide companies capable of designing, building and distributing linear electron accelerators (LINACs) for IORT. Its creation was stimulated by a combination of a wealth of knowledge in the field of particle physics, microwaves, electronics and expertise in vacuum brazing.

IOeRT is a treatment which allows radiation to be applied to the tissue around the tumour in the operating room itself after the removal of the tumor mass, while the patient is still anaesthetised. The irradiation time takes less than two minutes.

Many of the early x-ray based systems proved to be ineffective with long exposure times combined with a weak reference trial based on a very short follow-up. SIT technology, based on linear electron systems, IOeRT, has become a consolidated, well accepted technique whose efficacy has proven by a large number of clinical studies and confirmed by the Update of the ASTRO Guidelines for Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI) which define IOeRT as the recommended treatment as a single dose to be applied in the clinical practice outside a clinical trial.

Furthermore, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines are now available for the IOeRT treatment of solid tumours such as sarcomas (extremity, trunk, H&N, retroperitoneal), rectal and colon cancer (T4 and recurrent), pancreatic cancer (close/positive margins), cervical and endometrial cancer (recurrent) and uterine sarcoma (recurrent).

SIT technology raises IOeRT to new levels of effectiveness and convenience, with obvious benefits terms of practicality and cost savings. The LIAC and NOVAC combine state-of-the-art technology with new designs that increase convenience and user-friendliness. No other mobile electronic accelerator in the world is so manoeuvrable, enabling fast, agile movement around operating rooms without compromising operating procedures. This makes IOeRT even more affordable as a single system covers the needs of several rooms, and patients can be treated on an standard operating table.

Bill Hipgrave, MD of Vertec Scientific, comments "We are thrilled to have reached this agreement with SIT as we see enormous opportunities for their products with healthcare providers in both the private sector and the NHS."