New Cancer Treatment Device Goes Into Service Today

MANCHESTER, England, July 25, 2011 -

- Experts Welcome Latest Advance as
Promising Development for UK Patients

A treatment system called the Novalis^® Tx™ has gone
into service today, which has the ability to destroy cancerous
cells virtually anywhere in the body in a single, 20-minute
session, without the need for a single cut of the scalpel.

The Novalis Tx, installed in The Christie at Salford Royal, a
brand new radiotherapy centre in the North West, treats cancer
using a specialised technique called radiosurgery which is
especially beneficial for tumours of the brain and spine previously
thought untreatable by surgeons.

Using powerful, highly accurate beams of radiation shaped to fit
the precise shape of even the most complex tumours, the system is
able to treat painlessly without the need for
invasive^[1] surgery and with fewer side effects. The
short treatment times of the system benefit both doctor and
patient; and mean more patients can be treated on the system in one
day. Patients are often able to attend clinic just as an
outpatient, returning to life the same day. Frameless radiosurgery
provides a patient-friendly alternative to techniques that require
immobilisation with an invasive head ring that is affixed to the
skull^[1].

Rachel Good, Christie radiotherapy manager for the new centre,
says: “The Novalis Tx^[TM]  was the
perfect choice for the centre because it will help The Christie
treat more patients by switching between specialised radiosurgery
for tumours in the brain to standard radiotherapy for other cancers
of the body. In our first year we are looking to treat 720 patients
with the Novalis Tx, 120 of which will be priority brain tumour
patients where precise, non-invasive treatment is particularly
effective.”

News will be welcomed by the 300,000 people in the UK diagnosed
with cancer each year^[2]. Of these 50,000 people are
estimated to develop either primary or secondary brain
tumours^[3], where traditional treatment is difficult to
provide. Malignant primary brain tumours take more years off the
average person’s life than any other cancer and are the most
significant cause of cancer death amongst men under 45 years and
women under 35^[1].

Ms Tina Karabatsou, Consultant Neurosurgeon at the Salford Royal
NHS Foundation Trust, says: “One of the fantastic advantages of the
new Novalis Tx treatment is we will be able to treat brain
conditions we were previously unable to treat; such as tumours
really deep in the brain where open surgery is too dangerous.
Equally important is the non-invasive nature of treatment, which
means treatment sessions can be performed as an outpatient day-case
and with significantly less side effects.”

The launch of the high-quality treatment coincides with new
guidelines released by the NHS National Cancer Action Team which
state that radiosurgery should be made available to all suitable
cancer patients in England. By the end of 2011 three sites will be
treating with the Novalis Tx developed by Varian Medical Systems
and Brainlab in England and Scotland, improving access to advanced
cancer care to patients across the UK.

Helen Bulbeck, Director of patient charity Brainstrust,
comments: “The launch of the Novalis Tx system is a huge stride
towards modernising cancer care in the UK to levels seen in Europe
and the US. This is a great achievement for brain tumour treatment
and one that we hope to see the NHS continue to build on in the
years to come.”

Further information:

About Brainlab

Brainlab develops, manufactures and markets software-driven
medical technology that supports targeted, less-invasive treatment.
Core products are image-guided systems and software that provide
real-time information used for surgical navigation and
radiosurgical planning and delivery.

Brainlab technology drives collaboration between hospitals and
clinicians from a wide variety of subspecialties-from neurosurgery
and oncology to orthopedics, ENT, CMF and spine and trauma. This
integration delivers better access to improved and more efficient
treatment.

Founded in 1989, the privately held Brainlab group has more than
5,000 systems installed in over 80 countries. Based in Munich,
Germany, Brainlab employs 970 people in 16 offices worldwide.

To learn more, visit www.brainlab.com.  

About Varian Medical Systems

Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California, is the
world’s leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for
treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiotherapy,
radiosurgery, proton therapy, and brachytherapy. The company
supplies informatics software for managing comprehensive cancer
clinics, radiotherapy centres and medical oncology practices.
Varian is a premier supplier of tubes and digital detectors for
X-ray imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications
and also supplies X-ray imaging products for cargo screening and
industrial inspection. Varian Medical Systems employs approximately
5,100 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North
America, China, and Europe and in its 79 sales and support offices
around the world. For more information, visit
www.varian.com.

About The Christie Foundation
Trust

The Christie is one of the leading cancer centres in Europe
treating about 40,000 patients every year and an international
leader in research.

The new £18 million radiotherapy centre in Salford is part of a
unique network of Christie radiotherapy centres to bring treatment
closer to people’s homes. As well as being equipped to deliver
stereotactic radiosurgery, a highly specialised neurosurgical
technique for brain conditions, the centre will be treating 60
patients a day from the local area for the most common cancers like
breast, bowel and lung.

About Salford Royal NHS Foundation
Trust

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust is recognised as one of the
best Trust’s in the NHS and aims to provide safe, clean and
personal care to all patients. Salford Royal is large teaching
Trust providing a range of medical, surgical, maternity and
emergency services to the people of Salford. The Trust also offers
specialist care to people from all over the UK who require expert
tertiary help with, for example, neuroscience and kidney
conditions. On 1 April 2011, Salford Royal integrated with Salford
Community Health; the Trust now provides a range of community and
primary care services. Our core purpose is to provide clinical,
academic and service excellence ensuring the patient experience is
at the forefront of care.

www.srft.nhs.uk

1. Some doctors may opt for a minamally invasive head frame
depending on the specific treatment and patient.

2. Cancer Research UK. Cancer incidence - UK statistics. 2007.
info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/incidence/ (Last
accessed 18 Jul 2011)

3. Brain Tumour Research, Brain Tumour UK, International Brain
Tumour Alliance & Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust. A
manifesto for everyone affected by a brain tumour.

Press enquiries: Rob Jones, Contact: rjones at pegasuspr.co.uk +44(0)1903-821550 / +44(0)7768-637786