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New therapy provides hope for patients with secondary liver cancer OTTAWA, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MDS Nordion, a leading provider of medical isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals, has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin the first clinical trial for a non-invasive, innovative cancer therapy. This treatment called TheraSphere(R) has been developed for patients with liver cancer. The clinical trial, expected to begin in October, will enrol up to 150 patients with secondary liver cancer from five existing TheraSphere(R) treatment centers in the United States. TheraSphere(R) offers another option to the limited number of treatments available for patients suffering from secondary liver cancer. With this treatment, tiny radioactive glass beads attack cancerous tumours in the liver, while minimizing the impact on the patient's healthy tissues. Unlike chemotherapy, it has few side effects. Patients rarely experience extreme fatigue, nausea and vomiting usually associated with high-dose, systemic chemotherapies. The treatment can generally be administered on an outpatient basis as it does not usually require an overnight hospital stay. "These clinical trials represent an excellent fit with MDS Nordion's strategic direction and our commitment to developing new, innovative technologies for people with cancer," said Steve West, President of MDS Nordion. "Secondary liver cancer affects tens of thousands of patients every year in North America. This clinical trial will evaluate the effectiveness and safety of TheraSphere(R) with the goal of making this cancer therapy more widely available to help more patients." "Over the last 5 years, I have treated hundreds of patients by offering them an innovative treatment with TheraSphere(R)," said Dr. Riad Salem, Interventional Radiologist, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago. "The clinical trial offers participating medical institutions the opportunity to further their clinical experience and knowledge of this treatment. We can build upon what is already known - TheraSphere(R) is a very well-tolerated treatment option that often translates into a positive experience for patients, families and institutions." About TheraSphere(R) TheraSphere(R), Yttrium-90 glass microspheres, is a low toxicity, out-patient liver cancer therapy which consists of millions of small glass beads (20-30 micrometers in diameter). Each bead has radioactive Yttrium-90 in it. The physician injects TheraSphere(R) into the main artery of the patient's liver through a small tube (catheter) and the tiny radioactive glass beads are delivered directly into the liver tumour via blood vessels. The radiation delivered destroys the tumour cells from within the tumour, with minimal injury to surrounding health liver tissue. The Yttrium-90 in TheraSphere(R) becomes Zirconium-90 as it loses radioactivity. The radioactivity half-life of Yttrium-90 is 64.1 hours resulting in most of the radioactivity disappearing in approximately 10-12 days following treatment with TheraSphere(R). TheraSphere(R), 100% reimbursed by Medicare, is approved in the U.S. as a Humanitarian Device for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer). In collaboration with the U.S. FDA, MDS Nordion also makes TheraSphere(R) available to patients with limited treatment options for their secondary liver cancer. For more information on TheraSphere(R), visit http://www.therasphere.com/. About MDS Nordion MDS Nordion (http://www.mds.nordion.com/) is a world leader in radioisotopes, radiation and related technologies. MDS Inc. (TSX:MDS) (NYSE:MDZ) has more than 8,800 highly skilled people in 28 countries. It provides a diverse range of superior products and services to increase customers' speed, precision and productivity in the drug development and disease diagnosis processes. MDS is a global, values-driven life sciences company, recognized for its reliability and collaborative relationships that help create better outcomes in the treatment of disease. Find out more at http://www.mdsinc.com/ or by calling 1-800-MDS-7222, 24 hours a day. DATASOURCE: MDS Nordion CONTACT: Shelley Maclean, External Communications, MDS Nordion, Tel: (613) 592-3400 ext. 2414, E-mail:

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