UK’s NICE Recommends Intrabeam Radiotherapy System

The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended the Intrabeam radiotherapy system (IRS) for treating early invasive breast cancer and HeartFlow FFRCT software for estimating fractional flow reserve from coronary CT angiography.

The Intrabeam is a mobile system that delivers a single dose of targeted low-energy radiation during surgical removal of a tumor. According to NICE draft guidance, the device costs less and is potentially more efficient than standard radiation treatments because it delivers radiation directly to the tumor bed.

The Intrabeam guidance calls for data to be collected on patients treated with IRS, such as tumor types, adverse treatment effects, and survival rates. The data will be used to inform future treatment decisions for other cancer patients.

NICE invited public comments on the Intrabeam draft by March 1.

NICE also issued final guidance recommending the HeartFlow FFRCT as a way to estimate fractional flow reserve using standard coronary CT angiography image data. The technology is thought to be non-invasive, safe, and accurate.

The device should be considered as an option for patients with stable, recent-onset chest pain, as it may avoid the need for invasive coronary angiography and revascularization. NICE also said using HeartFlow FFRCT may save £214 ($268) per patient, or at least £9.1 million ($11.4 million) by 2022 compared to invasive treatments.

Read the Intrabeam draft guidance here: www.fdanews.com/02-09-17-radiationtreatment.pdf.

Read the HeartFlow FFRCT final guidance here: www.fdanews.com/02-13-17-HeartFlow.pdf.