SPONSORED FEATURE: VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS
elegant machine with patient friendly design that is small president of sales and marketing for the Asia-Pacific region at
enough to fit into almost all existing treatment bunkers. The the time of this first treatment. “We are pleased to support
system is ideally equipped for treating cancers of the head and Prince of Wales Hospital in making this technology available to
neck, breast, cervix and prostate, which make up the majority patients in this region.”
of cases in most areas of the world. The Department of Clinical Oncology at Prince of Wales
“It’s a comprehensive, cost-effective offering that provides Hospital in Hong Kong treats more than 3,600 cancer patients
cancer patients with standard treatments as well as advanced each year. It is an institution that provides integrated
techniques, including intensity modulated radiotherapy radiotherapy, medical oncology, haematological oncology, and
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(IMRT), image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), and RapidArc palliative care services. The department is a pioneer in
treatments,” said Rolf Staehelin, Varian’s international intensity-modulated radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal
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marketing director. “By making UNIQUE available with carcinoma and a leading research centre studying
advanced capabilities developed for our high-energy malignancies that are prevalent in Southeast Asia, including
platforms, we are helping more clinicians around the world to lung, liver, and nasopharyngeal cancers. Nasopharyngeal
offer higher standards of care for all of their patients.” (Figure 2). carcinoma (NPC) is an Epstein-Barr virus associated
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UNIQUE also includes the latest release of Varian's malignancy arising from the nasopharynx, a site less easily
market leading Eclipse treatment planning software, offering accessible by surgery, and is characterized by a high incidence
clinicians a seamless workflow for planning and delivering of regional nodal metastasis. RapidArc treatment with or
advanced radiotherapy treatments. It is a cost effective without chemotherapy allows a very high local control rate
solution designed to make access to quality care more widely and potential to spare organs (Figure 3). However, primary
available to cancer patients around the world. tumors in advanced-stage NPC often extend in close proximity
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Varian also offers a UNIQUE Power Edition without to important organs-at-risk such as the brainstem and optic
RapidArc technology or image-guidance software, for centres pathway. This calls for image-guidance techniques which
that prefer to begin with a more basic yet upgradeable platform. ensure the greatest accuracy of position and dose (Figure 4).
Either system is appropriate for treatment centres looking to Since its launch, the UNIQUETM low energy platform has
transition from older cobalt units to modern radiotherapy been rolled out globally, with installations in many European,
technology. The small footprint of the UNIQUETM accelerator Asian, Latin American and African countries.
allows it to fit into most small, existing treatment vaults. Earlier this year, Centro Oncologico Antofagasta in Chile
became the first treatment centre in Latin America to
First in Asia commence treating cancer patients using the UNIQUETM
Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong, China, became the system, while several hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa are
first treatment centre in Asia to commence treating cancer installing the device to offer patients more advanced
patients using the UNIQUE system. Clinicians delivered an radiotherapy treatments.
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image-guided RapidArc treatment for a patient battling
hypopharyngeal cancer, a tumour in the lower part of the Clearance in China
throat near the larynx. Varian recently received clearance from China’s State Food
“The UNIQUETM system, with its capacity for fast RapidArc and Drug Administration (SFDA) to market the UNIQUE™
treatments, markedly enhances our treatment capacity,” said medical linear accelerator in that country.
Dr Brian Yu, Head of Radiation Oncology, Prince of Wales “Epidemiological data shows that more than 2.2 million new
Hospital. “It enables our centre to provide timely precision cancer cases are diagnosed in China each year,” adds Tom
radiotherapy to an increasing number of patients, helping to Duffy. “This presents the dedicated clinicians in China with
improve our throughput. This arc-based treatment shortens daunting numbers of patients in need of treatment. Many
the treatment delivery time to less than two minutes. Our departments operate two or three shifts to keep up with the
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measurements show that UNIQUE can deliver high quality demand for access to radiotherapy treatment. In recognition
conventional IMRT and RapidArc treatments. Prince of Wales of the challenge, the Chinese Ministry of Health has
Hospital will use RapidArc as a preferred modality for treating announced a dramatic increase in the number of licenses
head and neck and prostate cancer.” available to hospitals for the purchase of additional
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“With its speed and image guidance capabilities, UNIQUE accelerators and we are delighted that UNIQUETM has been
enables cancer clinics to provide quality care to more patients approved in China to help meet the resulting demand for
at a lower cost per treatment,” said Tom Duffy, Varian's vice advanced new treatment equipment.” l
96 CANCER CONTROL 2013