Healthcare Industry News: Clinac iX
News Release - May 31, 2006
Varian Medical Systems Equipment Selected for Wave 9 of UK Cancer Plan
CRAWLEY, England, May 31 (HSMN NewsFeed) -- Varian MedicalSystems, world leader in radiotherapy systems for treating cancer, has been
selected to supply several hospitals with treatment machines and simulators
in the latest wave of the UK government's capital investment program for
upgrading the quality of cancer treatments in the nation's hospitals.
The latest Varian Clinac(R) iX series accelerators -- machines that
deliver radiotherapy -- will be installed at leading radiotherapy centers
in Royal Free (London), Ipswich and Maidstone in Wave 9 of the Cancer Plan.
These machines will be equipped with the On-Board Imager(R) accessory to
enable the hospitals to carry out more targeted treatments using Image
Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT). Additionally Varian will be equipping an
entirely new radiotherapy center at Chelmsford in Essex with a complete
suite of Varian's radiotherapy products including a Clinac iX, the ARIA(TM)
information and image management system and Eclipse(TM) treatment planning
software.
Also as part of Wave 9, Varian's Acuity(TM) X-ray imaging device for
simulating, verifying and planning radiotherapy treatments will be
installed at centers in Mount Vernon (London), Exeter, Carlisle, Lincoln
and Stoke. Manufactured in Crawley, England and installed in over 30
countries worldwide, the Acuity system generates high-quality digital
images to support all forms of radiotherapy, including state-of-the-art
treatments such as IGRT. The Acuity device can also be used with Varian's
unique respiratory gating system to plan more precise treatments in which
beam delivery times are coordinated with tumor motion caused by patients'
natural breathing cycles. At Carlisle, Varian will also be supplying
brachytherapy equipment that enables clinicians to place radiation sources
such as seeds directly within tumors.
Over the last three years, the UK government's Purchasing and Supply
Agency (PASA) has announced major investments in radiotherapy equipment in
a series of waves. A total of 101 new linear accelerators have been
acquired as part of the Cancer Plan and Varian has been selected to provide
65 of them -- two-thirds of all machines ordered.
"We already have a Varian linear accelerator and our people have been
very happy with its performance and reliability, and matching and
integrating our existing equipment is an important factor for us," says
Stephen Duck, head of radiation physics at London's Royal Free Hospital.
"We're very keen to introduce image-guided treatments and we feel the
On-Board Imager is an exciting step forward for our staff and our
patients."
Once the new machines are installed, the oncology department at Royal
Free Hospital plans to begin developing treatments using intensity
modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), a new treatment that enables clinicians
to increase doses delivered to the tumor while protecting surrounding
healthy tissues. The new treatment machines will be equipped to provide
state-of-the-art care with 120-leaf multileaf collimators -- digital
devices that shape the beam of radiation to conform to the contours of the
tumor. They will also have the latest in portal imaging technology for
helping to ensure that treatments are delivered accurately.
David Scott, Varian's UK sales manager, says, "This latest wave of the
government's Capital Investment Programme demonstrates again that the UK
radiotherapy community recognises Varian's reliability and long term
development strategy as well as our ability to deliver practical leading
edge technology to enable the adoption of advanced techniques such as IMRT,
IGRT and Adaptive Radiotherapy in today's high pressure clinical
environment."
Editorial contact: Neil Madle, Varian Medical Systems, +44 7786 526068,
neil.madle@varian.com
About Varian Medical Systems
Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California is the world's
leading manufacturer of medical technology for treating cancer with
radiotherapy and neurological conditions with radiosurgery. The company is
also a premier supplier of X-ray tubes and flat-panel digital subsystems
for imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications. Varian
Medical Systems employs approximately 3,600 people who are located at
manufacturing sites in North America and Europe and in its 56 sales and
support offices around the world. In Europe, the company operates
manufacturing and engineering centers in Baden (Switzerland), Crawley
(England), Haan (Germany), Helsinki (Finland) and Toulouse (France) and has
headquarters for Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEA) based in Zug,
Switzerland.
Additional information is available on the company's web site at
http://www.varian.com/
Forward Looking Statements
Statements in this press release regarding future business, events,
plans, objectives, expectations, estimates, and other similar matters,
including, but not limited to, statements using the terms "can" and
"expect," constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking
statements contained in this press release are subject to risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those anticipated, including, but not limited to, the risks described in
the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed from time
to time by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These
forward-looking statements represent the Company's judgment as of the date
of this press release. The Company assumes no obligation to update or
revise these forward-looking statements because of new information, future
events, or otherwise.
Source: Varian Medical Systems
Issuer of this News Release is solely responsible for its
content.
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