DUBLIN, Ireland, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The newly opened Beacon Hospital in Sandyford, Dublin has ordered Europe's first Trilogy® Tx image-guided radiosurgery system from Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) as it strives to become an international center of excellence in oncology and neuro-oncology.
The device will reside in Beacon Cancer Centre, a partnership of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Cancer Centers and Triad Hospitals, Inc., located at Beacon Hospital. The new system, which was ordered in December and will be installed and put into clinical use later this year, is part of a comprehensive oncology program at Beacon Hospital that includes state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging, day unit oncology and surgical services.
"The availability of stereotactic radiosurgery in Ireland will provide cancer patients with a new state-of-the-art option to treat their disease and enable patients who would have previously been referred overseas to remain in Ireland," says Prof. John Armstrong, medical director of radiation oncology at the Beacon Cancer Centre. "It also will give patients their best hope for the future and contribute greatly to the superb care which is already available here."
"Brain metastases are rarely treated using radiosurgery in Ireland and patients with other smaller benign tumors should be given the option of radiosurgery more frequently," adds Chris Mascott, head of clinical neurosciences at Beacon Hospital. "Now we will be able to change that situation. It puts us in the forefront of offering Irish cancer patients advanced and contemporary treatments."
Image-guided radiosurgery (IGRS) involves taking 3D X-ray images to locate and target tumors with precisely focused, high-energy radiation beams. It is used increasingly as an alternative to conventional surgery and it is often used to eradicate malignant or benign tumors that are considered "inoperable." Treatments can be carried out in anywhere from one to five sessions.
The Trilogy Tx machine is the fastest, most versatile device available to neurosurgeons for managing many brain and spinal tumors or for controlling other neurological disorders. For patients it should mean faster, more comfortable treatment sessions and shorter waiting lines.
It has recently been well-publicized that the 4.2 million population of the Republic of Ireland is greatly underserved in neurological and neurosurgical care. Dr. Mascott and Prof. Armstrong hope the arrival of advanced equipment such as the Trilogy Tx system will facilitate access of Irish patients to state-of-the-art neuro-oncology treatments on a routine basis.
They also hope to facilitate access for radiation oncologists and other colleagues in Ireland to this new and unique technology, allowing them to participate in radiosurgery treatments for their patients once the Trilogy Tx system is installed.
Unlike other dedicated radiosurgery devices, the Trilogy Tx is flexible enough to carry out all other forms of radiotherapy, including advanced intensity modulated radiation (IMRT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) in any part of the body.
In addition to its application to cancer patients, Dr. Mascott said he is particularly looking forward to offering his patients image-guided radiosurgery to treat trigeminal neuralgia, vascular malformations and hypothalamic hamartomas presenting with epilepsy. "There are also new and exciting indications that will be worth pursuing," he said. "The Trilogy will enable us to maximize accuracy and effectiveness for these kinds of neurological treatments."
Beacon Hospital, an independent center, opened to patients in November 2006. It is operated by Triad Hospitals, Inc., one of the largest hospital operators in the US and it has an academic affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine International. Beacon Cancer Centre, scheduled to open later this year, is part of the UPMC Cancer Centers network, one of the largest clinical cancer networks in the US.
Editorial contact: Neil Madle, Varian Medical Systems, +44-7786-526068, neil.madle@varian.com
About Varian Medical Systems
Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California is the world's leading manufacturer of medical products for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiotherapy, brachytherapy, and radiosurgery. The company is also a premier supplier of X-ray tubes and digital detectors for imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications. Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 3,900 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America and Europe and in its 56 sales and support offices around the world. In Europe, the company operates manufacturing and engineering centers in Baden (Switzerland), Crawley (England), Haan (Germany), Helsinki (Finland) and Toulouse (France) and has headquarters for Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEA) based in Zug, Switzerland. Additional information is available on the company's web site at http://www.varian.com /
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 "can" and "expect," 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, Inc.
CONTACT: media, Neil Madle of Varian Medical Systems, +44-7786-526068,
or neil.madle@varian.com
Web site: http://www.varian.com/