To: Michael Burry who wrote (6674 ) 4/11/1999 10:55:00 PM From: TwoBear Respond to
On the issue of product cycle, a linear accelerator is a linear accelerator. They just add technological advances to the basics. First were 80 cm machines, then 100 cm, then dual energy machines, then electrons, then the computerized, then the multi-leaf collimator, now the portal vision. The beauty of it all is once you have a basic accelerator you continue to upgrade it with the new peripherals. For example, buy a Linac for 1 million, later add MLC for 300K, next portal vision 250K, then Varis information system 300K. As you can see once they are in the door there is a continuing upgrade revenue stream. To do this, you have to have a C series accelerator. At the present I would guess that 50% of the country is still using non-computerized linacs and will have to upgrade to participate in the revolution of treatment in Radiation Therapy due to this increased technology. In a nutshell, we are going to be able to escalate doses without increasing morbidity therefore increasing cure rates.
