PALO ALTO, Calif. January 9, 2003 Advances in image-guided radiation therapy, cargo screening, and X-ray imaging are the focus in '03 Varian, Varian Medical Systems' 2003 annual report, a science magazine-style publication now available in print and on-line formats. The magazine highlights several of the company's latest technologies, including tools for ultra-accurate treatments using Dynamic Targeting™ image-guided radiation therapy.
The articles in '03 Varian include:
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A feature about Dynamic Targeting™ image-guided radiation therapy(IGRT), a new approach that uses patient positioning devices and imaging tools to target tumors more precisely.Dynamic Targeting IGRT provides doctors with ways of taking tumor motion into account during radiation therapy planning and treatment. And because it improves precision, it raises the possibility of shortening the duration of radiation therapy by reducing the number of treatment sessions for some forms of cancer.
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A story covering the remarkable history of radiation therapy since the early 1900s, when primitive X-ray tubes generated weak radiation primarily for pain relief. Since then, in the U.S., the National Cancer Institute's goal of five-year survival in more than 50 percent of cancer cases has been achieved, due in no small measure to major advances in radiation oncology, which is now used alone or in combination with other therapies to treat up to 60 percent of cancer patients in the U.S.
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An article about how Varian's X-ray product engineers, operating at the forefront of research and innovation in the field, have leapt over countless technical hurdles in their ongoing quest to enable people to "see inside" things, from people to cargo and luggage.
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Features about Varian's emerging technologies, including:
- High-energy X-ray screening systems for intercepting smuggled and dangerous cargo and capturing revenues from customs fraud, flat-panel digital X-ray imaging systems that are opening the door for a new generation of compact, filmless X-ray imaging equipment, brachytherapy for treating cancer "from the inside out" by placing radioactive implants either permanently or temporarily directly into tumors.
"Varian Medical Systems passed a major milestone in 2003, becoming a billion dollar company. We are succeeding in our mission to deliver true customer solutions, market leadership, and profitable growth," said Richard M. Levy, President and CEO. "With '03 Varian, we wanted to capture the spirit of innovation that is at the heart of this company's success."
To request a copy of 03 Varian, please call 650-493-4000. To access 03 Varian
online, point your Web browser to: http://www.varian.com/com/2003.