First Varian High Dose Rate Brachytherapy Afterloader Supplied to Leading China Cancer Hospital

BEIJING, March 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cancer patients in China will gain access to Varian's state-of-the-art cancer care with the announcement that a leading cancer center is acquiring a GammaMed® brachytherapy afterloader from Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR). This device is the first high dose rate afterloader supplied to Chinese hospitals by Varian, the world leader in radiotherapy systems.

Jilin University No. 1 Hospital in Jilin will shortly begin offering treatments using the new equipment, which was ordered in late December and installed in mid-February. The hospital is the leading oncology center in Jilin province, in the northeast of China.

Brachytherapy treats cancer by placing radioactive sources directly into or next to the area requiring treatment, enabling clinicians to deliver a high dose with minimal impact on surrounding healthy tissues. Brachytherapy has been employed in the treatment of cancers of the prostate, cervix, endometrium, breast, skin, bronchus, esophagus, and head and neck, as well as soft tissue sarcomas and several other types of cancer.

Doctors at Jilin said early brachytherapy treatments would focus on cervical and rectal cancers, explaining the decision to install Varian machines was based on the company's reputation for advanced systems and excellent service, as well as a desire to integrate the hospital's brachytherapy offering with its external beam systems, which are also supplied by Varian Medical Systems. Deng Fei, Varian's sales manager in China, said, "Jilin University No. 1 Hospital is striving for an integrated clinical environment based on one of the most advanced technologies available."  

Tom Duffy, Varian's head of Oncology Systems business in Asia, said, "Varian brings its expertise as the world leader in external beam radiotherapy to its brachytherapy offerings, which we are now licensed to sell in China. Brachytherapy is a clinically proven way of placing high dose within the tumor and computer-controlled afterloaders allow this process to be undertaken in a precise and efficient manner. We are pleased to be working with this leading cancer center to bring Varian's brachytherapy treatment systems to China."

Editorial contact: Neil Madle, Varian Medical Systems, +44 7786 526068

About Varian Medical Systems

Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California, is the world's leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy, and brachytherapy. The company supplies informatics software for managing comprehensive cancer clinics, radiotherapy centers and medical oncology practices. Varian is a premier supplier of tubes and digital detectors for X-ray imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications and also supplies X-ray imaging products for cargo screening and industrial inspection. Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 5,400 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America, Europe, and China and approximately 70 sales and support offices around the world. The company's center in Beijing, established three years ago, encompasses oncology equipment manufacturing operations, an educational center for radiotherapy clinical professionals, a customer service center, and X-ray Products assembly and service.  For more information, visit http://www.varian.com.

SOURCE Varian Medical Systems