GE Healthcare is proud to announce that it has entered into an agreement to collaborate with RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ), a leading radiation oncology software provider, to develop a new radiation therapy simulation and treatment planning workflow solution, designed to simplify how radiation will be targeted to shrink a tumor.
The companies aim to combine Stockholm-based RaySearch’s advanced treatment planning systems with GE Healthcare’s leading multi-modality (CT/MR/molecular imaging) simulator systems to make cancer treatment faster and more precise. RaySearch’s software is used by over 800 clinics in more than 40 countries.[1]
More than 60% of cancer patients undergo radiation therapy[2], according to the US National Institutes of Health, which requires high quality imaging to precisely target tumors while sparing healthy tissue. Precision imaging is foundational to determining the size, shape and characteristics of tumors and differentiating between healthy tissues. A key issue for oncologists can be the cumbersome simulation process and the need to navigate multiple systems and workflows manually. The aim of the collaboration is to simplify this process by enabling point of care decision making in the simulation room.
“GE Healthcare is delighted to be partnering with RaySearch, as we seek to improve precision guidance during radiation therapy planning and treatment,” said Jan Makela, President & CEO, Imaging, at GE Healthcare. “Cancer care can only be improved if those involved work together and this is one of several partnerships that we are pursuing for the benefit of caregivers and patients. Clinicians tell us that navigating through multiple systems to get a clear picture of where cancer cells are is one of their biggest pain points. We are working to bring together complementary solutions and technologies along the radiation therapy treatment pathway to help with this.”
GE Healthcare and RaySearch aim to enable hospitals and cancer treatment centers to implement an interoperable and integrated workflow that will optimize their clinical planning and operational outcomes. As providers look to automate radiation oncology processes in the face of increasing numbers of patients and advancements in radiation treatment delivery procedures, GE and RaySearch are working to bring together complementary technologies and solutions in order to advance innovation and help the radiation oncology community.
“Software has tremendous potential, and it is now the driving force for innovation in oncology“ said Johan Löf, founder and CEO, RaySearch Laboratories. “We are very pleased to be working with a partner with the scale of GE Healthcare, one of the largest providers of precision healthcare, to bring scientific advancements to the clinical world. Our solutions already support hundreds of clinics worldwide in the fight against cancer.”
