Varian Treatment Planning Support for Siemens Modulated Arc (mARC) Treatments to be Highlighted at 2014 ASTRO Meeting in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) and Siemens Healthcare will showcase a variety of solutions that bring together Siemens' leading diagnostic imaging technologies with Varian's advanced therapeutic systems for treating cancer with image-guided radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy, and brachytherapy at the 55th annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) starting here this Sunday. 

Planning Siemens Modulated Arc (mARC) Treatments Using Eclipse™ Treatment Planning Software from Varian

As part of their global strategic partnership, the two companies will showcase new capabilities within Varian's Eclipse™ treatment planning software that can now enable delivery of Modulated Arc (mARC) treatments using Siemens existing medical linear accelerators—the machines that generate the high-energy X-rays that are used in the treatment of cancer.  mARC radiotherapy is Siemens' approach to volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), a highly efficient method of delivering a precisely-sculpted dose to a targeted tumor.^* 

"Over the years of our partnership, Varian and Siemens have worked to create seamless connectivity between our two companies' solutions," said Kolleen Kennedy, president of Varian's Oncology Systems business.  "This development marks an important new milestone in our mutual cooperation, and demonstrates our commitment to the community of Siemens technology users."

In previous years of the partnership, the two companies focused on creating Varian Exchange, an interface that makes it possible to use Varian's ARIA® oncology information system in treatment centers using Siemens linear accelerators.  This interface has now been successfully deployed in 11 treatment centers in the U.S. and around the world, and is slated to be installed in 16 more.  Kiel University Hospital in Germany was the first site in the world to use this interface to connect the ARIA system from Varian to Siemens ARTISTE accelerators.

"Prior to our having this connectivity, DICOM-based export of information between systems was slow and there were clinical restrictions that resulted," says chief medical physicist Dr. Frank-André Siebert, PhD. "The whole patient workflow was hard to follow and every minor change needed a completely new treatment plan, which was very time-consuming."

Dr. Siebert said that the workflow is much smoother with Eclipse and ARIA fully connected to the treatment machines. "It's much easier and faster to work with just one software system rather than two," he said. "Two systems need more care than one and are more expensive to service."

Siemens Diagnostic Imaging Solutions Optimized for Radiation Oncology

In a separate booth adjacent to the Varian exhibit, Siemens also plans to showcase new diagnostic imaging technologies that have been optimized for use in radiation oncology:

• A dual-room SOMATOM CT sliding gantry solution, where one CT gantry can be used in either of two adjacent rooms. With this configuration, one room could be used for CT simulation while the other is dedicated to image-guided brachytherapy. This arrangement could allow clinicians to use the CT scanner for treatment simulation and other imaging purposes when it is not needed to guide brachytherapy procedures.
• A new, comprehensive MAGNETOM – RT Pro edition package for Siemens' top-of-the-line magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, which include the 70-centimeter open bore MAGNETOM Aera (1.5T) and the MAGNETOM Skyra (3T) system.  This package facilitates use of MRI scanning in the radiation oncology setting.  MRI scans make it possible to differentiate soft tissue very clearly and without the use of ionizing radiation.  They are often used to enhance the quality and precision of a radiotherapy treatment plan.

Varian and Siemens technology will be showcased in both companies' exhibits at the ASTRO meeting taking place Sept. 14-17 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.  Siemens will be in booth #928; Varian in booth #807.

^* The Siemens ARTISTE™ Solution with mARC and with Varian's ARIA OIS (version 13 and above) requires 510(k) clearance and the products/features mentioned here are not commercially available in all countries. Due to regulatory reasons their future availability cannot be guaranteed.  Please contact your local Siemens organization for details.

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 6,700 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 www.varian.com or follow us on Twitter.

About Siemens Healthcare
The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source – from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimizing clinical workflows for the most common diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some 52,000 employees worldwide and operates around the world. In fiscal year 2013 (to September 30), the Sector posted revenue of 13.6 billion euros and profit of 2.0 billion euros. For further information, please visit: www.siemens.com/healthcare

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release regarding future business, events, plans, objectives, expectations, estimates, and other similar matters, including, but not limited to, statements using the terms "will showcase," "can enable," "plans to, "can be used," and "would allow," constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, but not limited to, the risks described in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed from time to time by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements represent the Company's judgment as of the date of this press release. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements because of new information, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE Varian Medical Systems