Varian to Show Brachytherapy, IMRT, SBRT at AUA Meeting

April 27, 2009 - Varian Medical Systems is showcasing the its full spectrum of prostate cancer treatment technologies, including brachytherapy, IMRT and SBRT, at the American Urological Association (AUA) Meeting at McCormick Place in Chicago from April 25-30.

"At the AUA meeting, we'll be exhibiting our latest solutions for high-dose-rate brachytherapy, planning for low-dose brachytherapy with permanent seed implants, 3D conformal radiotherapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT)," said Calvin Huntzinger, MS, senior director, Varian Surgical Sciences. Each is a different approach to targeting prostate tumors with radiation.

Varian recently produced a clinical perspectives paper entitled “Early-stage prostate cancer treatment alternatives,” highlighting research that contrasts these and other approaches to prostate cancer treatment.

Varian will be showcasing the following radiotherapy solutions at the AUA meeting:

- The VariSource and GammaMed lines of HDR brachytherapy afterloaders, a computer-controlled device for guiding a needle or catheter as it places a radiation source directly into a tumor and holds it there for a prescribed period of time while the dose is delivered.
- VariSeed brachytherapy treatment planning software, which facilitates the permanent implantation of tiny radioactive seeds, each the size of a grain of rice, directly into the prostate.

Also showcased will be the Novalis Tx platform for image-guided radiotherapy and radiosurgery, a suite of tools made by Varian and BrainLAB for delivering external beam radiotherapies, including 3D conformal, IMRT, RapidArc radiotherapy and SBRT.

Novalis Tx can also deliver RapidArc radiotherapy, making it possible to complete an IMRT or SBRT treatment very quickly by dosing the entire tumor volume with a single rotation of the treatment machine around the patient.

The American Urological Association Meeting will take place at McCormick Place in Chicago, April 25-30.

For more information: www.varian.com