Gamma Knife Perfexion System Supplied by American Shared Hospital Services Begins Treating Patients at Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, Florida
AMERICAN SHARED HOSPITAL SERVICES (NYSE MKT:AMS), a leading
provider of turnkey technology solutions for advanced radiosurgical and
radiation therapy services, announced today that the Gamma Knife® PerfexionTM
system it supplied to Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, Florida
has begun treating patients.
Noting that Sacred Heart is a new hospital affiliation for American
Shared, AMS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ernest A. Bates, M.D.,
said, "This latest addition to our Perfexion portfolio demonstrates that
neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists who know the competing
technologies best continue to demand this unequaled stereotactic
radiosurgery system for treating cancers and other diseases of the
brain. We see additional opportunities to place Gamma Knife Perfexions
at new and existing AMS sites both in the U.S. and internationally."
AMS, the largest owner of Gamma Knife Perfexion systems worldwide, has
now placed twelve Perfexion systems in the United States and one in
Turkey; a fourteenth system is scheduled to be installed at Northern
Westchester Hospital in Mt. Kisco, New York in the second quarter.
About Gamma Knife Perfexion
Gamma Knife Perfexion maintains full clinical compatibility with the
classic Gamma Knife and is supported by efficacy and outcome data from
600,000 treated patients worldwide and thousands of peer-reviewed
scientific articles, making it a proven choice for radiosurgery of the
brain. According to its manufacturer, Elekta, Gamma Knife Perfexion
reduces unwanted body dose to the patient by up to 100 times compared
with competing technologies, which is particularly important for
treatment of children and women of childbearing age, and allows for a
dramatically increased treatable volume, which is expected to increase
the number of patients that can benefit from Gamma Knife surgery. Elekta
estimates that the fully automated and efficient single push-button
approach can save 3-5 working weeks of physician time per year at an
average Gamma Knife center.
About AMS
American Shared Hospital Services provides turnkey technology solutions
for advanced radiosurgical and radiation therapy services. AMS is the
world leader in providing Gamma Knife radiosurgery equipment, a
non-invasive treatment for malignant and benign brain tumors, vascular
malformations and trigeminal neuralgia (facial pain). The Company also
offers the latest IGRT and IMRT systems, as well as its proprietary
Operating Room for the 21st CenturySM concept. AMS owns a
preferred stock investment in Mevion Medical Systems, Inc., developer of
the compact MEVION S250 Proton Therapy System.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release may be deemed to contain certain forward-looking
statements with respect to the financial condition, results of
operations and future plans of American Shared Hospital Services, which
involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the risks
of the Gamma Knife and radiation therapy businesses, the risks of
developing The Operating Room for the 21st Century program, and the
risks of investing in a development-stage company, Mevion Medical
Systems, Inc., without a proven product. Further information on
potential factors that could affect the financial condition, results of
operations and future plans of American Shared Hospital Services is
included in the filings of the Company with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2011, the Quarterly Report on form 10-Q
for the quarter ended March 31, 2012, the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q
and 10-Q/A for the quarter ended June 30, 2012, the Quarterly Report on
form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2012, and the definitive
Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on June 7,
2012.
