High Dose-Rate Brachytherapy Afterloader Supplied to Leading Cancer Hospital in China

Cancer patients in China will gain access to cutting edge cancer care with the announcement that a leading cancer center is acquiring a brachytherapy afterloader.

The GammaMed device is the first high dose-rate afterloader supplied to Chinese hospitals by Varian Medical Systems, Inc. (Palo Alto, CA, USA), a world leader in radiotherapy systems. Jilin University No. 1 Hospital (Jilin, China) will shortly begin offering treatments using the new equipment, which was ordered in late December 2010 and installed in mid-February 2011. The hospital is the leading oncology center in Jilin province, in the northeast of China.

Brachytherapy treats cancer by placing radioactive sources directly into or next to the area requiring treatment, enabling clinicians to deliver a high dose with minimal impact on surrounding healthy tissues. Brachytherapy has been employed in the treatment of tumors of the prostate, cervix, endometrium, breast, skin, bronchus, esophagus, and head and neck, as well as soft tissue sarcomas and several other types of cancer.

Clinicians at Jilin reported that early brachytherapy treatments would focus on cervical and rectal cancers. The decision to install Varian machines was based on the company's reputation for advanced systems and excellent service, as well as a desire to integrate the hospital's brachytherapy offering with its external beam systems, which are also supplied by Varian Medical Systems. Deng Fei, Varian's sales manager in China, said, "Jilin University No. 1 Hospital is striving for an integrated clinical environment based on one of the most advanced technologies available.”

Tom Duffy, Varian's head of oncology systems business in Asia, said, "Varian brings its expertise as the world leader in external beam radiotherapy to its brachytherapy offerings, which we are now licensed to sell in China. Brachytherapy is a clinically proven way of placing high dose within the tumor, and computer-controlled afterloaders allow this process to be undertaken in a precise and efficient manner. We are pleased to be working with this leading cancer center to bring Varian's brachytherapy treatment systems to China.”

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