GLASGOW, Scotland, Oct. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A 71-year-old eye cancer patient has become the first person in the UK, and among the first in the world, to be treated using HyperArc™ high definition radiotherapy (HDRT) technology from Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR). Using HyperArc clinicians can deliver more compact radiation doses that closely conform to the size, shape, and location of tumors while sparing more surrounding healthy tissue.
The treatment was delivered at the West of Scotland Cancer Center in Glasgow, one of the largest radiotherapy departments in Europe. Clinicians at the center were worried about potential cataracts or damage to the patient's eyesight through using conventional radiotherapy techniques but they were able to achieve a 70% dose reduction to his lens using HyperArc HDRT.
"We treated the patient's right eye and wanted to spare the left lens and using this technique we achieved a major reduction to the lens," said Garry Currie, head of radiotherapy physics. "HyperArc HDRT allows us to deliver state of the art radiotherapy to highly complex cases efficiently and with a very high degree of dose compactness and conformity."
"HyperArc doesn't just mean reductions in dose to nearby critical structures, it simplifies the treatment planning of complex cases and provides the opportunity for significant reductions in treatment time when using the high level of automation it offers," added Garry Currie. "The HyperArc planning algorithm enables you to quickly produce exquisite plans that deposit more of the dose on the tumor and less on the surrounding healthy tissue."
HyperArc is designed to capitalize on the unique capabilities of Varian's TrueBeam™ and EDGE™ treatment platforms and is optimized for advanced, non-coplanar stereotactic radiosurgery treatments. HyperArc treatments exploit specific capabilities of the platforms to deliver more compact radiation doses that can fully saturate a targeted tumor and is designed to "fall off" sharply outside the target zone, minimizing dose to specific organs requiring more protection.
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 6,600 people around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com and follow @VarianMedSys on Twitter.
Press Contact
Neil Madle
Varian Medical Systems
+44 7786 526068
neil.madle@varian.com