Varian Medical Systems

IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.) announced in November the acceptance and beam model validation of the first Varian Halcyon machine in Europe to go clinical, at the hospital UZ Leuven in Belgium, using IBA Dosimetry’s Blue Phantom water phantom system.

Varian recently announced an 80-year-old male with head and neck cancer became the first patient in Europe to be treated on the Halcyon system at University Hospitals Leuven (UZ Leuven) in Belgium. Halcyon is an advanced cancer treatment system that is more comfortable for the patient while delivering ease-of-use for healthcare providers, accelerated installation timeframes, expedited commissioning, simplified training and automated treatment.

Varian Medical Systems announced it will be demonstrating its new Halcyon platform and HyperArc high-definition radiotherapy (HDRT) at the 2017 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting, Sept. 24-27 in San Diego. The company also will host its Users Meeting on Sept. 23 prior to the ASTRO meeting.

Varian Medical Systems has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for the Halcyon system, its new device for cancer treatment. Halcyon simplifies and enhances virtually every aspect of image-guided volumetric intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), according to the company.

In 2016, the America Cancer Society expected 1,685,210 new cancer diagnoses in the United States alone. And according to the National Cancer Institute, approximately half of all patients diagnosed with cancer will undergo radiation therapy as part of their treatment plan. Given the large number of patients turning to radiation oncology, it is no wonder there is an immense focus on continually advancing this treatment technique. Millions of lives depend upon it.