11/24/2003
For Immediate Release
HITACHI MEDICAL SYSTEMS AMERICA, INC. HIGHLIGHTS NCCN CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR PET IMAGING
CONTACT:
Raymond Wtulich
Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc
1959 Summit Commerce Park
Twinsburg, Ohio 44087
800.800.3106 or 330.425.1313 Ext. 2616
330.425.1410 Fax
wtulichr@hitachimed.com
www.hitachimed.com
Twinsburg, OH - November 24, 2003 - Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc. announced that it has incorporated the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology into its clinical PET (Positron Emission Tomography) physician marketing toolkit. Creating awareness about the appropriate indications for ordering a PET procedure has typically involved the utilization of clinical cases, technical papers, brochures and peer-reviewed articles. However, a key component that would tie all these tools together has been missing. The utilization of the clinical guidelines developed by the NCCN provides bonafide documentation and clearly defines how and when PET imaging is clinically appropriate in oncology patient management.
“We are excited to provide these added value marketing tools to our installed customer base as well as future installations,” stated Raymond Wtulich, Marketing Product Manager for Hitachi Medical Systems PET Division, “We have taken the approach to combine the clinical value of PET with the appropriate decision tree guidelines, thus improving the diagnostic position of PET imaging.”
The marketing toolkit enhancement includes a generous supply of individual clinical cases with associated algorithms along with a print ready CD for facility customization. The NCCN has included PET into the Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for breast cancer, colon cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, esophageal carcinoma, lymphoma, and head and neck cancer.
“The NCCN guidelines panels combine a thorough review of the evidence with expert opinion in developing the most up-to-date reference information available in oncology today,” explained William T. McGivney, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of the NCCN, “ The inclusion of PET in the NCCN guidelines is an important update as this tool becomes more widely available in cancer management today.”
Hitachi Medical Systems America, Inc. markets LSO PET imaging systems under the name of Sceptre™ and Sceptre XL, as well as the AVIA™ multi-modality workstation with Fusion7D™. HMSA markets the high performance magnetic resonance imaging products of Hitachi Medical Corporation, Tokyo, Japan. These include the AIRIS® II and the Altaire™ MR systems. HMSA has established a leadership position in diagnostic imaging with more than 1,300 Open MR imaging systems installed throughout the United States, and has expanded their modality offerings to include ultrasound, positron emission tomography, and optical topography. Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company, with approximately 320,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of over $60 billion. For more information about HMSA's complete line of imaging products and services, please visit http://www.hitachimed.com/.
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of 19 of the world’s leading cancer centers, helps patients and health professionals make informed decisions about cancer care. The NCCN’s complete spectrum of programs emphasizes improving the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of oncology practice. Programs include: Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology, Treatment Guidelines for Patients, Oncology Outcomes Database, Clinical Trials Network, educational conferences and symposia for clinicians, the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and collaborations with managed care organizations. For more information about the NCCN visit, http://www.nccn.org./
