Catharina Ziekenhuis (Hospital), a leading IORT center in Europe, took delivery of the first Mobetron in
the European Union in November and treated their first patient December 17, 2003.
Catharina Ziekenhuis is a major IORT treatment center for advanced and recurrent rectal cancer. They have
contributed several key publications on the use and advantage of IORT for these advanced cancer patients.
Prior to the arrival of the Mobetron, patients who required IORT for their cancer treatment had the surgery
performed in the radiation therapy department. One of the conventional radiation therapy accelerator rooms was
also equipped as an operating theater. When IORT was scheduled, the surgical team needed for the procedure came
to the radiation therapy department and performed the surgery in the combined radiation therapy/operating room.
Because these surgeries can be lengthy, the room was closed for that day to conventional radiation therapy
patients so that the surgery and IORT could be performed. This method allowed the hospital to provide IORT,
but disrupted the flow of patients that normally would be treated in the radiation department. Nevertheless, more
than 100 IORT patients were treated successfully in this manner at Catharina. .
Now, for the first time at Catharina, the Mobetron will allow IORT to be delivered in a standard operating room.
This will be a more efficient use of both surgical resources and the radiation therapy facilities.
“We are excited about having the Mobetron here”, says Dr. Harm Rutten, surgeon in charge of the IORT program
and a member of the Hospital Board. “Providing IORT in the OR will make our current rectal IORT program more efficient.
In addition, because the IORT unit is now located in the OR, we won’t interfere with the conventional radiation
treatment program and we will be able to use the Mobetron to treat other cancer sites with IORT.”
