Yangon General Hospital Becomes First Myanmar Treatment Center to Install Modern Cancer Treatment Technologies from Varian Medical Systems

YANGON, Myanmar, Feb. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Yangon General Hospital has become the first clinical site in Myanmar to install new technology from Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) for treating cancer with radiotherapy.   Earlier this month, the hospital unveiled its new medical linear accelerator plus technology for high-dose-rate brachytherapy at a Grand Opening that was attended by Prof. Dr. Pe Thet Khin, Myanmar's Minister of Health.   

"We chose Varian technology because it will enable us to upgrade the quality of treatment that we can offer cancer patients in Myanmar," said Professor Soe Oo-Mg, head of the Radiation Oncology Department at Yangon General. 

A medical linear accelerator is the key piece of equipment used to generate and deliver the high energy X-ray beams that are used to treat tumors during radiotherapy treatments for cancer. The hospital has acquired a model that is outfitted for intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), which involves using a special beam-shaping accessory that enables clinicians to shape the treatment beam to match the shape and size of the targeted tumor, minimizing exposure of surrounding healthy tissues in order to minimize side effects of treatment. 

"This machine is fully capable of delivering high-quality treatments for many types of cancer, and upgradable in the future for addressing a wider range of cases that are more difficult to treat," said Kevin Lo, director of Asia Pacific marketing for Varian. 

In addition to the medical linear accelerator, the hospital has also acquired a Varian system for high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy, a treatment method for delivering radiotherapy directly to a tumor site from inside the body. HDR brachytherapy involves the temporary placement of a tiny radioactive source directly into the tumor or other targeted area. The volume of tissue that is treated is limited, and the surrounding normal tissue receives little or no radiation.

The Yangon General Hospital is a 1500-bed public hospital with medical, surgical, trauma and orthopedic wards, plus 24 specialized departments for inpatient care. The hospital also runs an ER for general medicine, general surgery and traumatology. The hospital has a staff of about 300 doctors and over 400 nurses. It is also the Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital of University of Medicine 1, the country's premier medical school, as well as the Yangon Institute of Nursing and the University of Paramedical Science.

According to the World Health Organization, over 60,000 new cancer cases are estimated to occur each year in Myanmar, with breast cancer the most common among women, and lung cancer the most common among men. 

Note to journalists: The following images are available for download:

• Prof. Dr. Pe Thet Khin, Myanmar's Minister of Health, addresses guests at the Opening Ceremony at Yangon General Hospital
• Prof. Dr. Pe Thet Khin, Myanmar's Minister of Health, talks with guests about the new linear accelerator from Varian Medical Systems recently installed at the Yangon General Hospital

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, 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 6,400 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America, Europe, and China and 72 sales and support offices around the world.  For more information, visit http://www.varian.com or follow us on Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements
Except for historical information, this news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements concerning industry outlook, including growth drivers; the company's future orders, revenues or other financial performance; the ability of the company's technology and products to treat cancer; and any statements using the terms "will," "plan," "expect," "estimated," or similar statements are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include the effect of global economic conditions; demand for the company's products; the company's ability to develop, commercialize, and deploy new products; the company's ability to meet legal and regulatory requirements; changes in the legal or regulatory environment; and the other risks listed from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which by this reference are incorporated herein. The company assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements in this release because of new information, future events, or otherwise.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Meryl Ginsberg, Tel: +650-424-6444
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SOURCE Varian Medical Systems