OREANDA-NEWS. Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) has been selected by the Apollo Hospitals Group to supply 12 advanced medical linear accelerators and five brachytherapy systems as India's largest private hospital chain rolls out a program to replace ageing cancer treatment machines. Based on an order placed in March, Varian will supply 11 TrueBeam® systems, one Edge™ Radiosurgery system, and five GammaMed® brachytherapy systems for the Apollo network over the next two years.  

The Edge Radiosurgery system, which will be installed in one of Apollo's tertiary care centers, is a precise, non-invasive alternative to conventional surgery. With enhanced precision and speed, the Edge system offers state of the art radiosurgery and can treat a wide range of conditions across an ever increasing number of clinical indications. Varian's flagship TrueBeam family of linear accelerators, to be installed at hospitals throughout the Apollo chain, incorporates numerous technical innovations that dynamically synchronize imaging, patient positioning, motion management, and treatment delivery during a radiotherapy or radiosurgery procedure.

As well as advanced treatment equipment, Apollo is ordering a full suite of Varian software tools including the Eclipse™ treatment planning system and ARIA® oncology information management system, along with specific modules such as RapidPlan™ to enhance the speed and quality of treatment plans, and the InSightive Analytics™ real-time dashboard to maximize workflow in a clinic. 

"We are pleased that Apollo has selected our technology-leading hardware and software to offer their cancer patients fast and precise treatments," says Ashok Kakkar, senior managing director of Varian India. "India is severely under-equipped when it comes to radiotherapy treatment machines and more than two million new cancer cases are detected each year in the country. Programs such as this help to make a big difference in the treatment of cancer patients in India."

Commenting on the collaboration, Dr. Preetha Reddy, executive vice chairperson of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited said, "Healthcare has evolved by leaps and bounds in the past few years and technology has played a critical role in improving clinical outcomes for patients. Providing high quality healthcare on a par with global standards is our prime objective and we are glad to partner with Varian in this endeavor. Already enriched with highly skilled doctors, technicians and physicians, cutting edge technology will further enhance India's positioning as a global healthcare destination."

Last year, Varian and Apollo announced a collaboration on the first radiotherapy educational co-operation of its kind between industry and a care provider in India. In this collaboration, Varian and Apollo will work together to bring greater access to training in modern radiotherapy by leveraging the existing Apollo Knowledge network that comprises several educational entities in the healthcare space in India. This collaboration with Apollo is a furtherance of Varian's Access to Care program, which seeks to bridge the gap between the growing need for modern radiotherapy treatment machines in developing countries and the lack of trained personnel to operate them.

About Varian Medical Systems
Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California, focuses energy on saving lives by equipping the world with advanced technology for fighting cancer and for X-ray imaging.  The company is the world's leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiation. The company provides comprehensive solutions for radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy and brachytherapy. The company supplies informatics software for managing comprehensive cancer clinics, radiotherapy centers and medical oncology practices. Varian is also a premier supplier of X-ray imaging components, including tubes, digital detectors, cables and connectors as well as image processing software and workstations for use in medical and industrial settings, as well as for security and non-destructive testing.  Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 7,400 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America, Europe, and China and sales and support offices around the world.  

About Apollo Hospitals
In 1983, Dr. Prathap Reddy launched India's first corporate hospital - Apollo Hospitals in Chennai. Over the years Apollo Hospitals has established itself as home to the largest cardiac practice in India with over 160,000 cardiac surgeries. Apollo Hospitals is also the world's largest private cancer care provider and runs the world's leading solid organ transplant program having conducted over 1,500 solid organ transplants in 2014-15 alone. For more than 28 years, the Apollo Hospitals Group has maintained leadership in medical innovation, world-class clinical services and cutting-edge technology. Apollo hospitals are consistently ranked amongst the best hospitals globally for advanced medical services and research.