Leading Cancer Center Commences Advanced Treatments Using Varian Edge™ Radiosurgery System

TBILISI, Georgia, July 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A 68-year-old breast cancer patient has become the first person in the nation of Georgia to be treated using the Edge™ radiosurgery system from Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) in combination with respiratory gating. A non-invasive alternative to conventional surgery, the Edge system is now being used clinically at the Research Institute of Clinical Medicine in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.

The female patient received fast and precise stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for metastases in both lungs and, using the enhanced motion management capabilities of the Edge system, her treatment was gated to take account of her breathing pattern.

"We are pleased to be the first center in this region to begin clinical treatments using Edge radiosurgery," said Dr. Natalia Jankarashvili, head of the hospital's radiation oncology department. "Radiosurgery with Edge is very fast and it enables us to carry out radiosurgery on small tumors, which we couldn't do before. We think it will make a big difference for cancer patients throughout Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan."

Maia Topeshashvili, chief medical physicist, said the Edge system's high dose rate, real-time tracking and high definition collimator leaves combined to enable the delivery of fast and precise radiosurgical treatments. "Most importantly the system aids patient comfort, as they spend less time on the treatment table than would have been the case with other approaches," she added. 

Since the installation of the Edge radiosurgery system, Dr. Jankarashvili and her colleagues at the Research Institute for Clinical Medicine have delivered brain, bone, adrenal and lung radiosurgery and they plan to start treating patients with prostate and liver metastasis in the near future.

The Edge radiosurgery system enables clinicians to attack tumors from outside the body using carefully shaped high-energy X-rays.  There are no incisions and patients contend with few of the healing, pain, and recovery issues associated with conventional surgery.  A sophisticated treatment couch with six axes of motion enhances treatment precision by providing additional angles for targeting tumors.

"By combining the Edge radiosurgery system with an experienced radiation oncology team in a technologically advanced center, patients in Georgia and neighboring countries will now have greater access to advanced cancer treatments," said Sergejs Popovs, Varian's regional sales director.

About Varian Medical Systems

Varian Medical Systems focuses energy on saving lives and is the world's leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating and managing cancer. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Varian employs approximately 6,400 people around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com and follow @VarianMedSys on Twitter.

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