LEUVEN, Belgium, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cancer patients in Belgium have begun receiving a new more precise form of radiotherapy using X-ray imaging during treatments to locate and focus beams more closely on tumors. The new cancer treatment called image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) is being offered at the university hospital of Leuven using equipment from Varian Medical Systems. Clinicians at UZ Gasthuisberg are using a new Clinac(R) medical linear accelerator equipped with an On-Board Imager(TM) device to capture high-quality images of tumors at the time of treatment. The fully automated device enables medical staff to sharpen their aim on the tumor by quickly repositioning patients on the treatment couch immediately prior to treatment. The system takes radiographic, fluoroscopic and 3D conebeam CT images to give clinicians an optimum view of the tumor site and surrounding bones, organs and soft tissue. Using this information, they can adjust the position of the patient automatically without having to re-enter the treatment room, avoiding the need for time-consuming manual adjustments and ensuring the busy center can avoid longer treatment times and growing waiting lists for their patients. Dr. Karin Haustermans, professor in radiation oncology, said, "This is a major benefit because it means these improved imaging techniques can be introduced without putting too much pressure on the system." Prior to the advent of IGRT, radiation oncologists had to contend with variations in patient positioning and with respiratory motion by treating a relatively large margin of healthy tissue around the tumor. IGRT enables doctors to minimize the volume of healthy tissue exposed to the treatment beam. Potentially, image data from IGRT tools like the On-Board Imager device will be used to note changes in tumor size and shape over a course of treatment, and make real-time adaptations to the treatment plan. All prostate cancer patients at the hospital are imaged using the On-Board Imager device's radiographic mode immediately prior to treatment. In August, the hospital used the imager for the first time to capture a 3D conebeam CT image of a 62-year-old rectal cancer patient. "We were very impressed with the conebeam CT image and online matching with the original CT image worked perfectly," adds Dr. Haustermans. "As the patient is male we were also able to check the prostate, which was very visible despite the lack of markers." Images from the new device are also incorporated into the hospital's ongoing research programs, including major studies on image guided radiotherapy and PET imaging for rectal cancer. Varian's Acuity(TM) imager for treatment planning and verification is also used at the hospital for patient set-up, especially for rectal cancer patients who lie on a "belly-board" and cannot therefore have conventional CT scans. UZ Gasthuisberg treats up to 200 patients per day on four Varian Clinac(R) linear accelerators, with a fifth machine due to be installed in the near future. The hospital was one of the earliest in Europe to introduce intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), a more accurate treatment process that limits side effects while enabling doses to be increased by automatically shaping beams to match the shape of the tumor. The hospital is now using IMRT for prostate, head & neck, oesophagus and rectal cancer treatments. Walter Frei, head of Varian's oncology systems business in Europe, says, "This leading scientific center is a great example of how these advanced radiotherapy techniques are being put into practice in a routine clinical fashion. In addition to improving precision, our systems focus on automation and fast, comfortable treatment processes, which makes them particularly suitable for busy centers such as this one." Editorial contact: Neil Madle, Varian Medical Systems, +44 7786 526068 About Varian Medical Systems Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California is the world's leading manufacturer of medical technology for treating cancer with radiotherapy and neurological conditions with radiosurgery. The company is also a premier supplier of X-ray tubes and flat-panel digital subsystems for imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications. Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 3,600 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 U.S. 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. Furthermore, notwithstanding any specific events announced in this press release, the Company's quarterly and annual financial results are subject to such risks and uncertainties described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed from time to time by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. DATASOURCE: Varian Medical Systems CONTACT: Neil Madle of Varian Medical Systems, +44-7786-526068 Web site: http://www.varian.com/

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