Leading integrated radiotherapy systems maker Varian Medical (VAR) has achieved an important clinical milestone as its TrueBeam therapy system successfully treated the first cancer patient in the Netherlands. Doctors used the novel treatment procedure to treat a lung cancer patient at VU University Medical Center (“VUmc”) in Amsterdam.
The patient was treated with eight stereotactic body radiosurgery (SBRS) over a two-week period using TrueBeam with Varian’s coveted RapidArc radiotherapy technology. SBRS is a non-invasive procedure which uses a linear accelerator (a device used for radiation therapy) to deliver the required doses of radiation to tumors in the body with extreme accuracy and in fewer treatment sessions vis-à-vis conventional radiotherapies. TrueBeam’s rapid dose delivery capability coupled with RapidArc’s speed shortened the treatment duration.
VUmc, a leading Dutch cancer center, became the second hospital in Europe (after Switzerland’s Zurich University Hospital) to conduct treatment using the TrueBeam system. It was one of the first hospitals in Europe to use the RapidArc technology and has so far treated more than 1,000 cancer patients. VUmc now aims to use TrueBeam to treat more patients with SBRS.
Introduced in April 2010, the TrueBeam platform is used in image-guided radiotherapy and radiosurgery to treat multiple cancer types. It includes the TrueBeam STx system, which is geared for sophisticated radiosurgery that can treat a moving target with considerable accuracy and speed.
TrueBeam has the capability to provide treatment 50% faster, along with a dose delivery rate that can reach 2,400 monitor units per minute, which is twice the maximum output of the conventional systems for radiosurgery or radiotherapy. The enhanced ability ensures that patients experience greater comfort due to shorter treatment period and superior precision.
TrueBeam was a significant contributor to Varian’s Oncology Systems segment revenues and order growth in third-quarter fiscal 2010. The company has so far received orders for more than 60 TrueBeam systems since the product’s inception with multiple new orders coming from Europe.
Varian is the world’s leading manufacturer of integrated radiotherapy systems for treating cancer and a premier supplier of X-ray tubes for diagnostic imaging applications.
The company operates in a technology-driven environment, where success depends on the use of new technology, new product development and product upgrades.
Varian is focused on increasing its market share in the radiation oncology market. The company is currently enjoying a healthy demand for RapidArc, which is meaningfully contributing to its oncology net order growth. Currently, RapidArc is installed in more than 500 clinics globally. However, uncertainties stemming from health care reform and a still weak hospital capital spending environment provide headwinds. We currently have a Neutral recommendation on Varian.
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