PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Doctors in Syracuse, New York, have deployed RapidArc™ radiotherapy technology from Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR). A new weapon in the fight against cancer, RapidArc delivers a precise image-guided IMRT treatment in two minutes or less, which is two to eight times faster than was previously possible with conventional IMRT.
A 70-year-old prostate cancer patient was the first person to begin a course of RapidArc treatments at Syracuse Radiation Oncology, an early adopter and the one of the first sites in upstate New York to offer this form of treatment. Each of his daily treatments is taking just under two minutes to deliver. "Compared with a traditional IMRT approach, we're finding that a RapidArc treatment is noticeably faster to deliver," said Neil Mariados, MD, radiation oncologist, Syracuse Radiation Oncology. "A shorter treatment time means that patients spend less time holding still, and we believe this has the potential to improve treatment accuracy as the targeted tumor is less likely to shift position during a shorter treatment. Because RapidArc provides the accuracy we demand in a patient's radiotherapy, but in a shorter time frame, we are able to provide exceptional care to each of them."
RapidArc makes it possible to cover the tumor with radiation during a single continuous rotation of the treatment machine around the patient. This makes it much faster than conventional IMRT, which repositioned the machine repeatedly for treating from different angles.
"RapidArc was able to meet the challenge of concentrating the dose on the patient's tumor, and minimizing any exposure of nearby healthy organs," Mariados said.
Treatment planning analyses conducted by Varian and clinical researchers have shown that in many cases, RapidArc concentrates dose more closely on the tumor than conventional fixed beam IMRT treatments. Additionally, studies show that faster treatments can help to minimize the effects of prostate motion during treatment, and potentially lead to a higher cancer cell kill rate.
RapidArc radiotherapy technology has now been used for the treatment of prostate, head and neck, lung, brain, spine, bone, gynecological, and soft tissue cancers. The American Cancer Society estimates that, in 2008 there will be 186,320 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States, with 10,500 of those occurring in New York state.
About Syracuse Radiation Oncology:
Syracuse Radiation Oncology, a division of Associated Medical Professionals of NY, PLLC, provides cancer patients requiring radiation therapy not only the highest level of technological expertise but the presence of compassionate human beings and the calm ambience of a peaceful setting. The office provides a personal and supportive atmosphere valued by patients and their families. The combination of the newest state-of-the-art equipment, top of the line staff, and the peaceful setting enables Syracuse Radiation Oncology to offer and deliver top quality patient care.
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, proton therapy, 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 4,800 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America and Europe and in its 60 sales and support offices around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com/.
John Worlton, Varian Medical Systems
650-424-6438 or john.worlton@varian.com
SOURCE: Varian Medical Systems, Inc.
CONTACT: John Worlton of Varian Medical Systems, +1-650-424-6438,
john.worlton@varian.com
Web site: http://www.varian.com/