LIMA, PERU – June 25, 2014 – The Aliada Centro de Oncologia Integral in Lima, Peru has become the first treatment center in the country to offer patients a fast form of image-guided radiotherapy that targets tumors quickly and precisely while minimizing the impact on normal healthy tissues. A 30-year-old woman with thyroid cancer was among the first cancer patients in Peru to receive treatment using RapidArc® radiotherapy at the treatment center.
“With RapidArc technology, we were able to create a treatment designed to protect, as much as possible, the many important organs that were close to the woman’s tumor, such as the salivary glands, the spinal cord, the sensitive tissues of her mouth,” said Juan Marquina Diaz, M.D., radiation oncologist. “RapidArc technology from Varian Medical Systems enables us to shape the treatment beam and block out critical areas that we want to protect.”
RapidArc is one approach to delivering a form of treatment often referred to as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), which uses advanced computer-controlled technology to shape the treatment beam so that it closely matches the three-dimensional shape of the tumor. Studies have found that IMRT can often reduce the amount or severity of side effects of treatment by minimizing the impact on surrounding healthy tissues.
RapidArc radiotherapy is delivered on a machine that has an integrated imager that can generate two- and three-dimensional images of the area to be treated. These images are used to make tiny adjustments to the patient’s position so that the tumor will be accurately targeted.
RapidArc enables clinicians to deliver treatments very efficiently, with just one or two rotations of the treatment machine around the patient. Sophisticated software varies the speed of rotation, the shape of the beam, and the dose delivery rate to deliver the prescribed dose of radiation. RapidArc treatments can be completed much more quickly than was possible with earlier generations of technology. This will enable the center to treat more patients and improve access to high quality cancer care.
“It takes us an average of eight to ten minutes, to complete a RapidArc treatment, including the time spent on patient positioning and imaging prior to treatment,” said Dr. Marquina. Conventional approaches to IMRT would have taken 2-3 times longer.
“In our center, we treat all types of cancer; today, most are treated with RapidArc radiotherapy,” Dr. Marquina said. “The treatments are fast, and many of our RapidArc patients appear to be experiencing a minimum of commonly-expected side effects.”
Note to editors: A high resolution image of RapidArc radiotherapy technology is available online here: http://varian.mediaroom.com/image/RapidArc.jpg.
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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, digital detectors, and image processing software and workstations for X-ray imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications and also supplies high-energy X-ray devices for cargo screening and non-destructive testing applications. Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 6,500 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America, Europe, and China and approximately 70 sales and support offices around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com or follow us on Twitter.
About Aliada Centro de Oncologia Integral
Aliada Centro de Oncologia Integral is comprised of a team of professionals who specialize in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and research. This treatment center was specially designed to meet the needs of cancer patients by offering the best in comprehensive care, utilizing the latest technologies and medical equipment for precise diagnosis and effective treatment in accordance with international standards. The treatment center has received an accreditation for ambulatory health care by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC).
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Varian Medical Systems, United States
Meryl Ginsberg, 650.424.6444
meryl.ginsberg@varian.com
Aliada Centro de Oncologia Integral
av. Galvez Barrenechea 1044 San Isidro Lima-Peru
Juan Marquina, 00(51)(1) 967785474
juan.marquina@aliada.com.pe