IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Endocare, Inc. , an innovative medical device company focused on the development of minimally invasive technologies used by urologists and interventional radiologists for tissue and tumor ablation, announced today that physicians from leading medical institutions including Mayo Clinic, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, among others, will present a total of 38 scientific papers, posters and educational exhibits related to cryoablation and its effectiveness for treating a wide variety of cancers this week at the 93rd Scientific Assembly and annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago. Cryoablation is a minimally invasive procedure in which tumors are targeted with ultrasound, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging guidance and treated by freezing.
The presentations include a 36-month update of a multi-center study that demonstrates the safety, effectiveness and durability of cryoablation as a means of dramatically reducing focal pain for patients whose cancer has spread to their bones. The update on the study, which includes data from 50 of a planned total of 60 patients, is being presented by Matthew Callstrom, M.D., PhD of Mayo Clinic, the lead investigator.
The conference also includes several presentations focused on percutaneous renal, or kidney, cryoablation, the fastest growing cryoablation treatment. Last January the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued for the first time a payment code for percutaneous renal cryoablation, a procedure that allows physicians to destroy small tumors in the kidney by inserting a probe directly through the skin and freezing the cancerous tissue.
Data were also presented on the effectiveness of cryoablation for treating liver, lung and brain cancers, as well as an immunologic response that occurs in high risk prostate cancer patients treated with cryoablation.
“We are very excited that so many of the world’s leading and most creative interventional radiologists are looking to cryoablation as a treatment for bone pain, lung and kidney cancers, in addition to the more traditional use of cryoablation to treat prostate cancer,” said Endocare interim CEO Terrence A. Noonan. “The promising RSNA data and the enthusiasm cryoablation is generating among physicians supports our contention that cryoablation is a platform medical technology that can be beneficial to patients with a wide variety of cancers. From a strictly business standpoint, cryoablation for prostate cancer remains a core focus, but this conference demonstrates that there is a broad future for cryoablation as a safe and effective treatment for many forms of cancer.”
About Endocare
Endocare, Inc. -- www.endocare.com -- is an innovative medical device company focused on the development of minimally invasive technologies for tissue and tumor ablation. Endocare has initially concentrated on developing technologies for the treatment of prostate cancer and believes that its proprietary technologies have broad applications across a number of markets, including the ablation of tumors in the kidney, lung and liver and palliative intervention (treatment of pain associated with metastases).
Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those discussed in “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Forms 10-K, Forms 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such risk factors include, but are not limited to, the following items: the Company has a limited operating history with significant losses and losses may continue in the future; the Company may require additional financing to sustain its operations and without it the Company may not be able to continue operations; the Company’s business may be materially and adversely impacted by the loss of the Company’s largest customer or the reduction, delay or cancellation of orders from this customer or if this customer delays payment or fails to make payment; the Company may be required to make state and local tax payments that exceed the Company’s settlement estimates; uncertainty regarding the ability to convince health care professionals and third party payers of the medical and economic benefits of the Company’s products; uncertainty relating to third party reimbursement; the risk that intense competition and rapid technological and industry change may make it more difficult for the Company to achieve significant market penetration; and uncertainty regarding the ability to secure and protect intellectual property rights relating to the Company’s technology. The actual results that the Company achieves may differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to such risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise, or update publicly, any forward- looking statements for any reason.
CONTACT: Matt Clawson of Allen & Caron, Inc., +1-949-474-4300,
matt@allencaron.com, or Media Contact, Len Hall of Allen & Caron, Inc.,
+1-949-474-4300, len@allencaron.com; or Terrence A. Noonan, CEO, or Michael
R. Rodriguez, CFO, both of Endocare, Inc., +1-949-450-5400
Web site: http://www.endocare.com/
