MANCHESTER,
U.K., June 22, 2017
/PRNewswire/ -- A significant milestone for the UK's first National
Health Service high energy proton therapy center occurred today
when Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) delivered the cyclotron to
the new facility. The cyclotron is a particle accelerator which
accelerates protons to two thirds the speed of light for clinical
use and its installation is a key milestone for every new proton
therapy center.
The cyclotron is a core piece of equipment of Varian's
ProBeam® system, which is equipping the four-room Christie Proton
Therapy Center. Executives from the new center gathered with
dignitaries including Sir Bruce
Keogh, national medical director for NHS England, to witness
the cyclotron delivery. After a journey from Varian's proton
therapy production facility in Troisdorf, near Cologne in Germany, the cyclotron was craned into
position at the new purpose-built facility that is fully integrated
with the main Christie Hospital.
"To be able to offer the world's most advanced form of
radiotherapy through the NHS in the UK is a real step change for
patients, ensuring they benefit from local access to proton
treatments with potentially better outcomes and reduced chance of
long-term side effects," said Roger
Spencer, chief executive of the Christie. "The arrival of
the cyclotron is a huge milestone for the proton beam therapy
project and brings us closer to our goal of being able to offer
this treatment to patients next year."
The Christie Proton Therapy Center is one of two major NHS
proton therapy facilities being constructed in the UK, with the
other located at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation
Trust. Treatments at the Christie Proton Therapy center are
expected to commence in 2018.
Proton therapy makes it possible to treat certain types of
cancer more precisely and with potentially fewer side effects than
is possible with conventional radiation therapy. With proton
therapy, the risk of damage to healthy tissues and potential side
effects is reduced because the beam stops and deposits dose within
the tumor site rather than passing all the way through the
patient.
"We are very proud to be partnering with the Christie
Proton Therapy Center on the development of this wonderful new
facility," said Dr. Moataz
Karmalawy, general manager of Varian's Particle Therapy
division.
Varian's ProBeam system is the first to offer
fully-integrated intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) to
enable more efficient adaptive proton therapy. The Varian's pencil
beam scanning technology gives clinicians the ability to deliver
the dose precisely in the tumor to minimize dose to healthy tissue.
When combined with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), the
ProBeam system enables advanced adaptive therapy during the course
of treatment helping to make it a more precise form of proton
therapy.
About Varian Medical Systems
Varian
Medical Systems focuses energy on saving lives and is the world's
leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating
and managing cancer. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Varian employs
approximately 6,400 people around the world. For more
information, visit http://www.varian.com
and follow @VarianMedSys on Twitter.
Press Contact
Neil
Madle
Varian Medical
Systems
+44 7786 526068
neil.madle@varian.com
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SOURCE Varian Medical Systems