Oncology Systems works closely with health care professionals in community clinics, hospitals, and universities around the world to improve cancer outcomes. Thousands of patients are treated daily on Varian systems. The business unit also supplies linear accelerators and components for industrial inspection, cargo screening, and sterilization.

2002 Highlights
Oncology Systems again set records for annual net orders, sales, and operating earnings. It expanded its share of the worldwide radiation oncology market and became a leader in the treatment planning software market. The business also introduced the Acuity™ imaging system, a new product that for the first time integrates planning, simulation, and verification for treating cancer with radiation. The Acuity system pairs an X-ray tube and an amorphous silicon flat panel from Varian’s X-Ray Products business to generate the high-resolution images needed for ultra-precise radiotherapy, including SmartBeam™ IMRT. As of the end of the fiscal year, Varian had equipped 840 radiation oncology clinics for SmartBeam IMRT and the number of clinics treating patients with SmartBeam IMRT had jumped to 188 – more than double the number that were offering this treatment last year.

Outlook
A record backlog and continuing growth in net orders point to the potential of another year of strong growth for Oncology Systems. Growth will continue to be driven by demand for IMRT-ready systems. More than 90 percent of respondents to a recent survey of radiation oncology centers indicated that they are either offering or planning to offer patients IMRT within the next three years. Product development initiatives will focus on software upgrades that streamline all forms of radiotherapy, including IMRT, and on new “on-board” imaging capabilities that will continue to enhance the precision of radiotherapy.

Products and Services

Oncology systems:
  Clinac® medical linear accelerators
  Millennium™ MLC multileaf collimators
  Exact™ treatment couches
  Acuity™ treatment planning/simulation/verification systems
  CadPlan PLUS™/ Helios™ / Eclipse™ treatment planning software
  Vision™ radiotherapy image management software
  PortalVision™ imaging systems
  VARiS® clinical/data management software
  RPM™ respiratory gating systems
  Customer service and product support

Industrial inspection and security systems
  Linatron® linear accelerators

Facilities 
  Baden, Switzerland
  Buc, France 
  Crawley, England 
  Helsinki, Finland 
  Las Vegas, Nevada 
  Milpitas, California 
  Palo Alto, California (headquarters) 
  Tokyo, Japan 
  Zug, Switzerland