Varian Medical Systems will unveil at ASTRO 2007 RapidArc, a radiotherapy technology that will reportedly make it possible to quickly deliver a complete intensity- modulated radiation treatment during a single rotation of the treatment machine around the patient while potentially conforming dose more closely to the size, shape and location of the tumor and sparing more surrounding healthy tissue.
Varian's RapidArc quickly delivers a complete IMRT treatment in a single rotation of the treatment machine around the patient. This can reportedly replace more time-consuming IMRT treatment methods which require machines to make several rotations around the patient or to make repeated stops and starts to set up beam angles.
Varian researchers have found that RapidArc dose distributions can be well suited for a variety of clinical sites, including prostate and head and neck cases, according to the company. The system will reportedly also make it much simpler to plan and deliver IMRT by eliminating numerous steps required for conventional treatments that use multiple beam angles. By reducing the time it takes to deliver IMRT and other highly-precise forms of radiation therapy, RapidArc has the potential to improve the quality of care and of patient comfort, while making radiation oncology a more affordable treatment, according to Varian.
Varian is aiming to make RapidArc available for radiation clinics in spring 2008. As a product pending FDA 510(k) clearance, it is not yet available for sale in the U.S.
January 26, 2024 
