March 24, 2008 - Varian Medical Systems has formed a council of leading cancer centers in North America and Europe to further the development of clinical protocols using its RapidArc radiotherapy technology for fast and precise cancer treatments.

The RapidArc council members include researchers and scientists from the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, Netherlands; Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark; CRLC Val d'Aurelle in Montpellier, France; University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland; BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver, Canada; University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center in Baltimore; and University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The council members have been working with early versions of the Varian RapidArc system to potentially expand clinical applications for the new treatment method. As part of this effort, they intend to develop additional clinical presentations on the new technology for submission to scientific meetings, journals and symposia. In addition, the council members will collaborate with Varian engineers and developers in Switzerland, Finland and the U.S. on future enhancements to the technology.

RapidArc delivers a complete volumetric IMRT treatment in a single arc of the treatment machine around the patient, said Varian. Varian equipment was used to treat a prostate cancer patient with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) at the BC Cancer Agency in Oct. 2007. Varian has already started taking orders for the RapidArc capability and expects to begin shipping the product in April.

For more information: www.varian.com


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