Cancer Care of Western New York Becomes First Center in Western New York to Treat Cancer with RapidArc(TM) Radiotherapy Technology from Varian Medic...( Fast form of precise radiotherapy t...)

Fast form of precise radiotherapy targets tumors quickly and accurately

while minimizing exposure of surrounding healthy tissue

PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- During his annual physical check-up in March, David Kelver's doctor noticed he'd never had his tonsils out, and remarked that the right one looked a bit swollen. The doctor concluded, however, that the problem was minor and would clear up on its own, and sent him home. Several months later, Kelver, a 58-year-old engineer, noticed a lump in his neck. It turned out to be cancer that had started in his tonsil and spread to his lymph nodes.

That was the bad news. Some good news followed, however. Kelver found his way to Dhiren Shah, M.D., radiation oncologist at Cancer Care of Western New York, the first and only treatment center in the area to offer patients treatment using RapidArc(TM) radiotherapy technology from Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR). RapidArc, a new weapon in the fight against cancer, is a highly-precise form of radiotherapy that targets tumors quickly and accurately while minimizing exposure of surrounding healthy tissue.

"David had to choose between radical surgery or chemotherapy with radiation," said Dr. Shah. "He chose the chemo/radiation combination because it offers the same potential cure rate as surgery while being less invasive and disfiguring."

RapidArc technology makes it possible for Dr. Shah to deliver a precise image-guided IMRT treatment in two minutes or less, which is two to eight times faster than was previously possible with conventional IMRT. "The treatment itself is only about 40-60 seconds; the set-up prior to treatment takes longer," Kelver said. "I never had conventional radiation but I
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