Varian-equipped New York Proton Therapy Center Opens with Ribbon Cutting Event

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Jun 07, 2019, 12:56 ET

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Providing access to proton therapy treatment for cancer patients in the tri-state area, the New York Proton Center (NYPC) held a ribbon cutting event yesterday to commemorate the opening of the facility. Equipped with the Varian (NYSE: VAR) ProBeam^® proton therapy system, the Center is located in East Harlem. NYPC is New York's first proton therapy facility and is a collaboration between Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Montefiore Health System, and Mount Sinai Health System.

Proton therapy is the most sophisticated radiotherapy technology available today. It uses protons, accelerated to about two-thirds the speed of light, or more than 100,000 miles per second, to destroy cancer cells, while minimizing exposure to nearby healthy tissues. NYPC will treat pediatric and adult patients with a wide variety of conditions, including brain and spine tumors, head and neck tumors, breast cancer, lung and other thoracic cancers, gastrointestinal cancers, sarcomas, gynecologic cancers, prostate cancer, lymphomas and recurrence cancers.

"Patients throughout the tri-state area now have access to the most advanced radiation treatment currently available anywhere in the world," said Charles B. Simone, II, MD, FACRO, New York Proton Center's chief medical officer. "Working with Varian and our clinical partners, we're exploring the power of cutting-edge proton therapy for a wide-cohort of cancer patients and closely studying the outcomes through extensive clinical research."

"It has been an honor for Varian to collaborate with our long-term strategic partners in radiation oncology on the development and opening of the New York Proton Center," said Kolleen Kennedy, president, Proton Solutions and chief growth officer at Varian. "We look forward to expanding our close partnership in the fight against cancer including research for innovative treatment paradigms such as Flash therapy."

Flash therapy is a non-invasive treatment using an external beam delivered in high doses, at ultra-high speeds (less than 1 second), and in one to three sessions. It represents an exciting and potentially promising new direction in the treatment of cancer.

About New York Proton Center

New York Proton Center is creating the gold standard for proton therapy, giving new hope to patients living with cancer. In partnership with leading academic medical centers—Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Montefiore Health System, Mount Sinai Health System, and ProHEALTH as manager—the New York Proton Center brings together expert oncologists, clinical care teams, and researchers to improve cancer care and advance the clinical evidence for proton therapy. For additional information, please visit www.nyproton.com. High resolution video and images of the center are also available.

About Varian

Varian is a leader in developing and delivering cancer care solutions and is focused on creating a world without fear of cancer. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Varian employs approximately 7,000 people around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com and follow @VarianMedSys on Twitter.

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SOURCE Varian