Proxima Therapeutics Announces Additional Reimbursement Codes for MammoSite Radiation Therapy System.ALPHARETTA, Ga. -- New Reimbursement Codes Effective January 1 Will Increase Availability of MammoSite, the Most Widely-Used Method of Partial Breast Irradiation irradiation /ir·ra·di·a·tion/ (i-ra?de-a´shun) 1. radiotherapy. 2. the dispersion of nervous impulse beyond the normal path of conduction. 3. Proxima Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that administers the Medicare program and (CMS (1) See content management system and color management system. (2) (Conversational Monitor System) Software that provides interactive communications for IBM's VM operating system. ) has assigned new Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System The Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) is a set of health care procedure codes based on the American Medical Association's Current Procedural Terminology (CPT). Commonly pronounced Hick-Picks. (HCPCS HCPCS Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System ) codes for placement of its MammoSite balloon catheter balloon catheter n. A catheter with an inflatable balloon at its tip, used especially to expand a partially obstructed blood vessel or bodily passage and to measure blood pressure in a blood vessel. Also called balloon-tip catheter. . The codes, 19297 and 19296, will be used by physicians to report the placement of a balloon catheter into the breast for interstitial In a separate window. See interstitial ad. (World-Wide Web) interstitial - A World-Wide Web page that appears before the expected content page. Interstitials can be used for advertising (intermercial, transition ad) or to confirm that the user is old enough to view the radiation therapy, either at the time of lumpectomy Lumpectomy Definition A lumpectomy is a type of surgery used to treat breast cancer. It is considered "breast-conserving" surgery because in a lumpectomy, only the malignant tumor and a surrounding margin of normal breast tissue are or in a separate procedure, respectively. The payment categories assigned by CMS include the cost of the MammoSite device and will provide appropriate reimbursement for physicians that perform the procedure, effective January 1, 2005. Previously, reimbursement was available only in the hospital outpatient setting and physicians relied on other general codes to claim reimbursement. The new codes will enable physicians to be reimbursed for the procedure when performed in the hospital outpatient setting or in their office, which is generally more convenient for the patient and more efficient for the physician. MammoSite is a proprietary balloon catheter that facilitates the delivery of partial breast irradiation, the emerging practice of delivering radiation only to the tissue where cancer is most likely to recur while minimizing the exposure of healthy tissue. The device enables physicians to deliver an entire course of radiation from inside the breast over a five-day period. MammoSite is the most widely-used partial breast irradiation treatment in the world, and since its clearance by the FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. in May 2002, has been used to treat more than 7,000 early-stage breast cancer patients at hundreds of U.S. hospitals and treatment centers. A study published in the American Journal of Surgery found that, over the course of six years, partial breast irradiation produces comparable results to whole-breast radiation therapy in preventing breast cancer recurrence in women with early-stage breast cancer who are treated with breast-conserving therapy. "The move by CMS to offer additional codes to physicians to reimburse for the procedure of placing the MammoSite catheter will improve access to this important treatment," said Timothy Patrick, president and chief executive officer of Proxima Therapeutics, Inc. "With thousands of women treated in less than three years, MammoSite is an attractive option to women because it is a targeted treatment that easily fits into their lifestyles and minimizes unnecessary radiation exposure to healthy breast tissue and organs. We expect this code to increase utilization of the treatment by permitting appropriate payment and simplifying the reimbursement process." The announcement by CMS should also permit more appropriate payment systems to be developed for non-Medicare patients. Private payer systems commonly establish reimbursement levels based upon Medicare codes and payment rates. About MammoSite MammoSite is a minimally invasive balloon catheter that is inserted into the cavity created by a lumpectomy. During a five-day course of therapy, a tiny radioactive seed attached to a wire is inserted into the balloon, delivering prescribed levels of radiation under precise computer control to the targeted tissue surrounding the cavity. No source of radiation remains in the patient's body between treatments or after the final procedure. Since its clearance by the FDA in May 2002, MammoSite has been used to treat thousands of early-stage breast cancer patients. For a list of treatment centers, refer to www.mammosite.com. Safety and performance of MammoSite were evaluated in a multi-center study, which involved women with early-stage breast cancer. The results of the study were published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology radiation oncology n. The branch of radiology that deals with the use of ionizing radiation to treat cancers. radiation oncology *Biology*Physics (February 2003). About Proxima Therapeutics, Inc. Based in Alpharetta, Ga., Proxima Therapeutics, Inc. is a privately held medical device company established in 1995 to develop site-specific cancer treatment systems for malignant tumors malignant tumor n. A tumor that invades surrounding tissues, is usually capable of producing metastases, may recur after attempted removal, and is likely to cause death unless adequately treated. . Marketed products include MammoSite RTS (Request To Send) An RS-232 signal sent from the transmitting station to the receiving station requesting permission to transmit. Contrast with CTS. 1. (operating system) RTS - run-time system. 2. for breast cancer and GliaSite RTS for brain cancer. Additional information is available on the company's Web site at www.proximatherapeutics.com. Physicians and patients may call 1-866-PROXIMA (1-866-776-9462) for more information. |
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