But Klein says that "of these one million carcinomas, only 50,000 are treated by radiation. [That's] less than 5 percent" -- a number he hopes to grow with his electronic brachytherapy technology.

The device, which was approved for general use last spring by the FDA, is intended to treat basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas -- the forms of skin cancer that make up the overwhelming majority of all U.S. skin cancer cases. Axxent is also approved to treat breast and gynecological cancers.


"Electronic brachytherapy is rapidly emerging," says Ajay Bhatnagar, M.D., an oncologist from Casa Grande, Ariz., and lead investigator on using Xoft's device to treat skin cancers.

Because Axxent uses X-rays instead of irium-192, a radioactive isotope subject to stringent use and disposal regulations, it be can used in CT rooms, Dr. Bhatnagar says. And because of the low levels of radiation, he can even stand beside the patient during treatment. "Patients find that extremely comforting," he says.

Kenneth Linton, 73, one of Dr. Bhatnagar's patients, had a 2 centimeter tumor removed using the device. "It was nasty-looking," he says of the tumor, but now "it's almost healed completely."






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