COPENHAGEN/HERLEV, Denmark, May 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cancer patients in Denmark will benefit from state-of-the-art radiotherapy treatments with the installation of new suites of treatment machines, software and networking systems from Varian Medical Systems, the world leader in radiotherapy. After a much anticipated decision announced and orders placed in March, radiotherapy centers in Herlev, Copenhagen and Naestved will receive 14 new Varian linear accelerators, each complete with accessories and software enabling Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), over the next 18 months. The new equipment, to be installed at Herlev Hospital and Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, both in the Capital Region, and Hospital South in Naestved, in the Region of Zealand, will enable the three centers to extend their Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) programs. Varian's latest Eclipse(TM) treatment planning and ARIA(TM) information management software will be installed at all three sites, providing the three clinics with an integrated network for fast efficient treatments that minimize patient waiting times. All the new Clinac(R) linear accelerators -- eight at Herlev, four at Rigshospitalet and two at Naestved -- will come equipped with the On-Board Imager(R) device for modern, real-time image guidance. IGRT enables clinicians to pinpoint the position of the tumor at the time of treatment, allowing more precise treatments and potentially fewer side effects. When the new accelerators are installed, Rigshospitalet will have 13 Varian treatment machines, making it one of the largest radiotherapy centers in Europe. Naestved Hospital, in co-operation with Rigshospitalet, serves patients in the south of the Zealand region and will act as a key part of the integrated approach planned for the three cancer centers. Dr. Peter Michael Vestlev, head of radiotherapy at Herlev Hospital, said the clinic's IGRT program will advance the precision and quality of cancer treatments. "We are also very much looking forward to integrating the new software systems," he added, "so we can have just one data system for tracking and treating patients." He said the department's seven existing accelerators, one of which is 19 years old, would be replaced over time by the new equipment. Herlev Hospital carries out 40,000 radiation treatments per annum, treating 2,500 new patients each year. Sten Hornsleth, Varian's Scandinavian regional manager, said, "This major investment shows the commitment of the Danish government to improving cancer care and will bring the latest in radiotherapy treatments to the country's cancer patients. We are delighted that Varian was selected to equip these projects and we look forward to providing clinicians at all three hospitals with the tools to treat their patients as precisely and effectively as possible." 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 devices and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy, 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 and digital detectors for X-ray imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications and also supplies X-ray imaging products for cargo screening and industrial inspection. Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 4,200 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. For more information, visit 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. DATASOURCE: Varian Medical Systems, Inc. CONTACT: Neil Madle of Varian Medical Systems, +44-7786-526068, Web site: http://www.varian.com/

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