Calypso Medical sponsors the great prostate cancer challenge race series in five cities

SEATTLE, WA USA (Press Release) - August 17, 2011 - Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc., developer of GPS for the Body® technology used for the precise tracking of cancerous tumors during prostate radiotherapy, today announced a partnership with ZERO

– The Project to End Prostate Cancer to sponsor the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge Race Series (GPCC) in five cities nationwide. The GPCC, bringing together athletes, cancer survivors, physicians and patients, expects to net 15,000 participants and raise more than $1 million for advocacy toward prostate cancer research, early detection and free testing.

From September 11, 2011 through November 19, 2011, Calypso Medical, in partnership with ZERO and other sponsors, will join colleagues in Kansas City, Kan., Oklahoma City, Columbus, Ohio, Memphis, Tenn. and Central Florida in what has become the premier prostate cancer event series in America.

“We are honored to partner with ZERO to bring the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge Race Series to these five important cities,” said Lorraine Marshall Wright, chief marketing officer and vice president of Calypso Medical. “We are committed to helping raise awareness for prostate cancer, the most common cancer in American men and the second leading cause of cancer death. We applaud ZERO and the GPCC, as they successfully raise awareness and funds to help end this disease in communities throughout the country.”

ZERO, along with partners and sponsors, has grown the national race series to include 5K and 10K races in 27 cities nationwide. Started in 2007, GPCC raises funds and awareness for prostate cancer research, awards community grants and provides free prostate cancer testing to those in need.

“The Great Prostate Cancer Challenge elevates prostate cancer awareness to a broader nationwide level, and everyone is encouraged to participate in these fun events,” said Skip Lockwood, CEO for ZERO. “We all know someone who is impacted by prostate cancer, striking one in every six men. It is necessary to do everything we can to put an end to this horrible disease.”

The latest 2011 American Cancer Society statistics for prostate cancer in the United States estimate that about 240,890 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed and about 33,720 men will die of the disease, or one in 36 men annually.

 

About the Calypso System

The Calypso System uses GPS for the Body technology to safely guide radiation delivery during prostate cancer treatment. Beacon® electromagnetic transponders, smaller than a grain of rice, are permanently placed in a patient’s prostate or prostatic bed. Each transponder emits a unique radio frequency signal to the Calypso System, which then determines the exact location and motion information about the tumor target. Because the tumor can be accurately tracked and monitored, precise targeted radiation can be delivered to the tumor while sparing surrounding healthy tissue and organs. This is critical because any movement by a patient, including internal movement of the tumor, may cause the radiation to miss its intended target and hit adjacent healthy tissue. Calypso’s real-time position information allows physicians to safely deliver the maximum cancer radiation treatments directly to the tumor. The Calypso System, cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for use in radiation therapy for the prostate and post-operative prostatic bed, has been used to treat more than 10,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at www.hitthetumor.com.

 

About Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc.

Calypso Medical is a privately held medical device company headquartered in Seattle. Its proprietary tumor localization system is designed for body-wide cancers commonly treated with radiation. Utilizing miniaturized, non-ionizing implanted devices called Beacon® electromagnetic transponders, the Calypso System continuously and accurately tracks the location of cancerous tumors for the improved precision and safe management of radiation for cancer treatment. The real-time position and motion information provided by the Calypso System offers objective reassurance that radiation treatment is delivered precisely to the prescribed target and not to surrounding healthy tissue, thereby improving safety and eliminating unnecessary radiation exposure to patients. The Calypso System was cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for use in radiation therapy for the prostate and post-operative prostatic bed. The company has strategic relationships with Varian Medical Systems, Siemens Healthcare, Elekta Corporation and Philips Medical. Additional information can be found at www.calypsomedical.com.

Calypso, GPS for the Body and Beacon are registered trademarks of Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc.

 

Media Contact:

Amy Cook
For Calypso
925.552.7893

 

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Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc.


[ PRESS RELEASE ]