The Cupertino Courier
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Mobetron targets cancer cells, causing less radiation damage
By REMY WELLING
In 1971, Donald Goer's mother was diagnosed with rectal cancer. She was 57. Soon, she lost her battle with the disease, and her family mourned her loss. Today, Goer is a co-founder, CEO and president of Intraop Medical Corporation in Sunnyvale--a company that makes devices for combating cancer.
The company, at 570 Del Rey Ave., sold a device called the Mobetron to Stanford's cancer center. This spring, the Mobetron will replace Stanford's existing radiation treatment. During cancer surgery, the Mobetron targets microscopic cancer cells, resulting in less radiation damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
Losing his mother made Goer determined to make a difference in the field of cancer research. In 1973, after receiving his Ph.D. in physics from Ohio State University, he went to work for a company where he was responsible for product development of cancer therapy equipment.
While he remains a strong advocate of prevention by early detection, he also knows early detection is not always possible or even enough to prevent a recurrence of cancer. Advances in treatment methods, such as the Mobetron, increase the patient's chances of survival.
With conventional radiation treatments, the patient must wait several weeks after surgical removal of the cancerous tumor to undergo outpatient treatment, cancer experts say. The waiting period is needed to allow normal tissues to recover.
Prior to the invention of the Mobetron, patients had to be transported under anesthesia, with an open wound, to the radiation facility. That increased the likelihood of developing an infection.
To construct and equip radiation facilities to properly shield the patient and surgical team could cost over $3.5 million. For about half the cost, the Mobetron targets cancer cells after a tumor has been removed and eliminates the need for a radiation facility. The Mobetron is a mobile and self-shielding device. Destruction of the microscopic cancer cells helps prevent recurrence.
Determining the correct dosage is a delicate balance, though. It must be high enough to destroy any microscopic cancer cells, but low enough to leave surrounding structures unharmed by the radiation. This is especially important for a child, cancer experts say, because many of the surrounding structures are related to the child's growth.
For more information on the Mobetron, contact Intraop Medical Corporation at 408.636.1020 or visit www.intraopmedical.com.
