Media Release 19th September 2013 One Dose, One Time Early Stage Breast Cancer Treatment Comes to New Zealand A team of Auckland breast cancer specialists is bringing an innovative one dose, one time treatment for women with certain types of early-stage breast cancer to New Zealand. Focus Radiotherapy, a New Zealand clinician-owned specialist radiation therapy service is introducing the new treatment option using the Zeiss Intrabeam intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) system to the Southern Cross Hospital, North Harbour Auckland and intends to make it available to women across the country. The new treatment means a reduction in radiation treatment time for the patient; minimised exposure to healthy tissue and organs, such as the ribs, lungs, heart and opposite breast; no treatment delay for patients who must also undergo chemotherapy as part of their breast cancer treatment; and same day treatment with no hospitalisation required. One of the founders of Focus Radiotherapy, Auckland Breast Surgeon Dr Erica Whineray Kelly says: `This may be an excellent therapy option for women having breast-conserving surgery, also known as a lumpectomy. We are the first and only centre in New Zealand offering this revolutionary treatment. The Intrabeam system is used to deliver a prescribed dose of … Continue reading →

Most researchers have suspected MS is a disease of the brains white matter. A new study suggests the debilitating disorder originates in gray matter, and raises hopes for faster diagnoses By Julianne Chiaet MRI Scan of Brain Image: Flickr/Reigh LeBlanc Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way... Read More It has taken a century so far for scientists to not figure out the cause of multiple sclerosis (MS). The inflammatory disease, which affects more than 2.1 million people worldwide, has been blamed on toxins, viruses and even food. Most recently, scientists have placed their bets on two major ideas: The first (and far more popular) hypothesis suggests MS begins in white matter, which influences how parts of the brain work together. White matter consists of bundles of axons covered in myelin, a white insulating fatty layer. In people with MS myelin degrades and nerve fibers are left exposed, causing problems in motor coordination and loss of senses. The second hypothesis suggests that MS begins in the gray matter, which affects thinking and learning. The white matter hypothesis overshadows its alternative in part … Continue reading →

A team of Auckland breast cancer specialists is bringing an innovative one dose, one time treatment for women with certain types of early-stage breast cancer to New Zealand. Focus Radiotherapy, a New Zealand clinician-owned specialist radiation therapy service is introducing the new treatment option using the Zeiss Intrabeam intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) system to the Southern Cross Hospital, North Harbour Auckland and intends to make it available to women across the country. The new treatment means a reduction in radiation treatment time for the patient; minimised exposure to healthy tissue and organs, such as the ribs, lungs, heart and opposite breast; no treatment delay for patients who must also undergo chemotherapy as part of their breast cancer treatment; and same day treatment with no hospitalisation required. One of the founders of Focus Radiotherapy, Auckland Breast Surgeon Dr Erica Whineray Kelly says: This may be an excellent therapy option for women having breast-conserving surgery, also known as a lumpectomy. We are the first and only centre in New Zealand offering this revolutionary treatment. The Intrabeam system is used to deliver a prescribed dose of radiation during breast conserving surgery. The goal of this approach is to destroy remaining cancer cells, helping to … Continue reading →