PERTH, Western Australia, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cancer
patients in Western Australia will receive state-of-the-art radiotherapy
treatments using equipment from Varian Medical Systems with the opening of
a new cancer center in Perth. Stereotactic radiosurgery for pancreatic
cancer patients and an advanced program of IMRT (intensity modulated
radiotherapy) are among the new treatments being introduced at the new Sir
Charles Gairdner Centre.
The new facility, the only public radiotherapy department in Western
Australia serving 2.1 million people in an area the size of Europe, has
been equipped with two Varian Clinac(R) iX linear accelerators and a
Trilogy(R) machine, the world's most versatile radiotherapy treatment
device. The new radiotherapy department is the first phase of a new
multi-disciplinary cancer center close to the original hospital, which was
established in 1961.
Rhonda Coleman, head of radiation therapy, said two of the new
accelerators will add extra capacity for additional patients while the
third will replace one of their existing three treatment machines giving
them five in total. She said that the new devices would enable the hospital
to increase the treatment options for patients, with intensity-modulated
radiotherapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) programs planned
for later this year, as well as an escalation of their existing
stereotactic program to encompass pancreatic cancers.
The investment, she said, has come in response to the Baume Report of
2002 which highlighted the desperate need for additional treatment capacity
in Western Australia. "Our Varian machines were doing ten-hour days up to
about eight months ago but waiting lists were growing and some patients
were waiting up to seven months for treatment," said Ms Coleman. "We
stepped that up to 13-hour days and brought waiting times down to three
months. With this new equipment, we hope to have eliminated waiting lists
by Christmas.
"We selected Varian for this project for reasons of reliability,
connectivity and support. We need full connectivity throughout the network,
particularly as we have doctors going to outreach clinics who need to be
able to get hold of data. Also, reliability is crucial and Varian machines
just keep on working for a long time.
"We're a busy center and this new state-of-the-art equipment will
enable us to offer our patients the most modern and efficient radiotherapy
treatments without increasing the amount of time it takes to treat people,"
she added.
A fully-accessorized Trilogy medical linear accelerator is capable of
offering all standard radiation therapies as well as advanced treatments
that make it possible to concentrate more dose on tumors while protecting
surrounding healthy tissue. It is expected to help doctors to improve cure
rates for patients while reducing treatment complications. IMRT, which is
made possible with advanced treatment planning software and a multileaf
collimator for automated beam shaping, concentrates radiation doses on
tumors while protecting more surrounding healthy tissue.
Editorial contact: Neil Madle, Varian Medical Systems, +44 7786 526068,
neil.madle@varian.com http://www.varian.com
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital: http://www.scgh.health.wa.gov.au
High resolution photos available on request
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 U.S. 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. Furthermore, notwithstanding any specific events
announced in this press release, the Company's quarterly and annual
financial results are subject to such risks and uncertainties described in
the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed from time
to time by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and
actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.
SOURCE Varian Medical Systems, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.scgh.health.wa.gov.au/
http://www.varian.com/
CONTACT:
Neil Madle of Varian Medical Systems, +44
7786 526068, or neil.madle@varian.com
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