Varian Medical Systems Inc. has received clearance from China’s State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) to market its Unique medical linear accelerator, a single-energy machine for treating cancer with advanced forms of image-guided radiotherapy. Unique is used to deliver intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and RapidArc treatments, which precisely target tumors while minimizing exposure of surrounding healthy tissues.

The Unique radiotherapy system is a low-energy (6 millivolts) radiotherapy system that can be outfitted with high-tech image-guidance, beam shaping, and RapidArc technology for rapid treatment delivery. It also includes the latest release of Varian’s Eclipse treatment planning software, offering clinicians a seamless workflow for planning and delivering advanced radiotherapy treatments, the company claimed. It is a cost effective solution designed to give cancer patients worldwide better access to quality care.

Affordable equipment such as Varian’s Unique system are finding a growing customer base in emerging markets such as China, India and Latin America, where healthcare companies and care facilities may not have the funds to buy new, expensive technology. According to a recent Markets and Markets research report, refurbished equipment also is finding a larger foothold in these locations for this reason.

“Epidemiological data show that more than 2.2 million new cancer cases are diagnosed in China each year,” said Tom Duffy, head of Varian’s Oncology Systems business in Asia. “This presents clinicians in China with daunting numbers of patients in need of treatment. Many departments operate two or three shifts to keep up with the demand for access to radiotherapy treatment. In recognition of the challenge, the Chinese Ministry of Health has announced a dramatic increase in the number of licenses available to hospitals for the purchase of additional accelerators. Varian created the Unique system to help address the need for greater access to care in China and other parts of the world.”

The Unique system can be used to deliver RapidArc radiotherapy, an arc-based approach that makes it possible to complete an image-guided IMRT treatment in a matter of minutes—up to four times faster than is possible with conventional IMRT.

Varian Medical Systems is based in Palo Alto, Calif., and produces medical devices and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy, and brachytherapy.

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