New Cancer Center at Guy's Hospital in London to be Equipped with Varian TrueBeam Treatment Machines

LONDON, Nov. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- One of London's leading cancer centers selected, in August, eight TrueBeam™ medical linear accelerators from Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) to deliver advanced radiotherapy and radiosurgery treatments for cancer patients at two new facilities. Six TrueBeam devices, including a TrueBeam STx which is optimized for radiosurgery, will be installed at the new Guy's Hospital Cancer Center while two further machines will equip a satellite center at Queen Mary's Hospital in nearby Sidcup, Kent.

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust is replacing its existing treatment machines with TrueBeam systems as radiotherapy services are centralized at the new flagship center, which is due to start treating patients in 2016.  In addition to the equipment, the Trust is also acquiring a full suite of Varian's Eclipse™ treatment planning software.

The radiotherapy service at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust serves a catchment population of approximately 1.6 million people and currently treats about 3,500 cancer patients each year, but the service is expecting this number to increase with the installation of the new systems, which can deliver more complex treatments than the center's existing equipment.

"We selected TrueBeam because it fully met our requirements and in particular has additional motion management functionality with 4D gating, which is important to us," said Angela Francis, head of radiotherapy at Guy's and St Thomas'. "The TrueBeam platform has strong potential for future innovation, it's user-friendly, and the overall system offers an efficient workflow, making it possible to treat more patients in a day. With TrueBeam, we will be able to offer our patients a full range of the latest radiotherapy and radiosurgery treatment options."

"Our new cancer center at Guy's will bring together the majority of cancer treatments under one roof and the new facility in Sidcup will enable cancer patients in outer London to receive radiotherapy closer to home. At present those patients have to travel to either Guy's or St Thomas's for their treatment," added Angela Francis.

Designed to treat a moving tumor with speed and accuracy, Varian's TrueBeam system incorporates numerous technical innovations that dynamically synchronize advanced imaging, patient positioning, motion management, and treatment delivery during a radiotherapy or radiosurgery procedure. TrueBeam has been designed to advance the treatment of lung, breast, intracranial, prostate, head and neck, and other types of cancer.

"We are excited to have been selected to supply our radiotherapy and radiosurgery systems to the new centers at Guy's Hospital and Queen Mary's Hospital and we look forward to working with the Trust in the years ahead as they seek to offer a wider range of advanced treatment options for cancer patients in south east London and further afield," said Adele Lyons, Varian's UK area manager.

The introduction of TrueBeam technology means Guy's Hospital will have access to High Intensity Mode, offering higher dose delivery rates and helping to widen the range of treatment options. Varian's new RapidPlan™ knowledge-based treatment planning system will also be available to physicists at Guy's to optimize the planning process.   

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

About Varian Medical Systems
Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California, focuses energy on saving lives by equipping the world with advanced technology for fighting cancer and for X-ray imaging.  The company 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 also a premier supplier of X-ray imaging components, including tubes, digital detectors, and image processing software and workstations for use in medical, scientific, and industrial settings, as well as for security and non-destructive testing.  Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 6,800 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America, Europe, and China and approximately 70 sales and support offices around the world.  For more information, visit http://www.varian.com or follow us on Twitter. 

About Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Guy's and St Thomas' provides more than 2 million patient contacts in acute and specialist hospital services and community services every year. As one of the biggest NHS trusts in the UK, with an annual turnover of more than £1.2 billion, it employs around 13,500 staff. www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk        

SOURCE Varian Medical Systems

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