Advanced Motion Management Technology Devised for the Treatment of Lung Cancer

New technology monitors and adjusts for tumor motion during radiotherapy treatments.

Varian Medical Systems, Inc. (Palo Alto, CA, USA) will display the company's new Gated RapidArc technology on its Trilogy machine with advanced motion management capabilities at the 2010 CHINA-HOSPEQ exhibition held in Beijing, China, August 19-21, 2010, by China's Ministry of Health. Varian, a world-leading manufacturer of medical technology for treating cancer and a supplier of X-ray imaging technology, will also exhibit its software for planning and for managing radiation therapy treatments.

"Our next-generation Gated RapidArc technology, which was introduced five months ago for the Trilogy and other Varian accelerators, enables clinicians to monitor and adjust for tumor motion during a RapidArc treatment,” said Xiaoyun Wang, managing director of Varian's oncology systems operations in Beijing. "This sophisticated new tool makes it possible to monitor patient breathing and compensate for tumor motion during lung cancer treatments. This Gated RapidArc approach can ‘gate' the beam--turn it on and off--in response to tumor motion during treatment, to target the tumor accurately and spare surrounding healthy tissues.

Varian software on display will include the Eclipse treatment planning system, which simplifies modern radiation therapy planning for all kinds of treatment, including three-dimensional (3D) conformal, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), electron, proton, and brachytherapy treatment. "Eclipse helps doctors and physicists efficiently create and verify treatment plans that have been optimized for each patient,” said Mr. Wang.

The Aria oncology information system, a comprehensive information and image management system that aggregates patient data into a single, organized, oncology-specific medical chart that simplifies the treatment process so clinicians can focus on caring for patients.

Varian will also highlight the company's X-ray tubes and flat-panel digital X-ray image detectors, which are used for digital imaging in medical, dental, and other applications. "Customers appreciate the fact that our extensive inventory of X-ray products is serviced from our service center here in Beijing,” said Hsiao-Li Pan, manager of Varian's X-ray products distribution business in China.

Varian will also participate in a special China Health Forum being sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Health (MOH). Burt Lang, global marketing director and head of market research for Varian's oncology systems business, will participate in a roundtable discussion by healthcare vendors in China.

"Varian is honored to participate in these important events, and we are committed to serving the medical community in China,” said Mr. Wang. "As part of this commitment, we established a manufacturing facility for medical equipment and a training center in Beijing three years ago, where we now produce and test high- and low-energy linear accelerators with image guidance and RapidArc capabilities for distribution within China and to other parts of the world, following Varian's stringent global quality management processes. In addition, we operate an education facility that provided training for over 200 Chinese clinical professionals in 2009. Varian technology has been well accepted by the radiation oncology community here, with over 300 linear accelerators in use at some 250 treatment centers to treat cancer of the brain, nasopharynx, lung, and prostate. We look forward to sharing our latest advances with clinical experts from over 1200 hospitals expected to attend this year's CHINA-HOSPEQ exhibition.”

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