Thomas Rusch, Ph.D., received undergraduate and graduate degrees in electrical engineering and management of technology from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Rusch spent 26 years developing electron and ion spectroscopies for surface chemical characterization, primarily at 3M and Perkin Elmer Physical Electronics Division. Since co-founding Xoft, Inc, in 1998, he has been actively involved in miniature x-ray source development and dosimetry. More recently he has focused on preparing for clinical introduction of the Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System.
Brachytherapy traditionally has been a therapeutic radiation procedure in which a capsule or seed of radioactive material is placed in close proximity to the tissue being treated. One common brachytherapy procedure is the placement of radioactive iodine seeds in the prostate to control prostate cancer. Electronic Brachytherapy is a new technology platform designed to deliver localized radiation treatment using a miniature x-ray source to replace the radioactive material. The use of an x-ray source allows the radiation for brachytherapy to be turned on and off as needed, much as the linear accelerator has allowed electronic control of radiation generation for external beam therapy. An electronic source also eliminates the risks of transporting, storing and handling radioactive materials which have received increasing scrutiny in the last few years. Because the maximum source operating voltage is 50 kV, therapy can be given in a minimally-shielded clinical setting which has the potential to make radiation therapy accessible to a much larger number of patients. The Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System, incorporating the miniature x-ray source, was recently cleared by the FDA to deliver a course of radiation therapy after lumpectomy for early stage breast cancer.
Data from several randomized controlled clinical studies have demonstrated that radiation therapy is an essential component of treatment for breast cancer when the patient wishes to conserve her breast with lumpectomy surgery as opposed to undergoing a full mastectomy. However, more recent studies have shown that many patients opt out of receiving breast sparing surgery with radiation therapy due to time, distance, or difficulty accessing radiation therapy centers.
