Download Varian Medical Systems - World Cancer Day Press Release

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Meryl Ginsberg, 650-424-6444
[email protected] 1003357
Varian Medical Systems Joins Global Community in Promoting World Cancer Day
Annual World Cancer Day part of ongoing international campaign to challenge government
leaders, providers and individuals to step up the fight against cancer
Palo Alto, Calif. — January 28, 2014 — Marking this year’s World Cancer Day observation
February 4th, Varian Medical Systems (NYSE:VAR) has joined with an international network of
cancer care providers and advocates to raise awareness of the disease and to encourage
individuals and governments around the world to take action against it.
“Until cancer awareness is improved globally and actions are taken to prevent and treat the
disease, millions of people around the world will die unnecessarily every year,” said Varian CEO
Dow Wilson, noting that according to the UN International Agency for Research on Cancer
(IARC), 8.2 million cancer related deaths were reported in 2012. “The World Health
Organization (WHO) projects that the global number of deaths from cancer will increase by
nearly 80% by 2030. That is unacceptable. Empowering people with all of the tools, knowledge
and resources available is crucial in waging a successful fight against cancer.”
Varian is a proud supporter of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), which
coordinates events for World Cancer day. This year Varian has asked its 6,400 employees to
sign the UICC’s Declaration Against Cancer, which calls upon government leaders and health
policy-makers to significantly reduce the global cancer burden, promote greater equity, and
integrate cancer control into the world health and development agenda.
As a company dedicated to helping save millions of lives around the world every year, Varian
has launched a promotional campaign to acknowledge World Cancer Day and encourage
participation. Elements of the campaign include the prominent placement of information on the
Varian.com home page and linking to a landing page that invites cancer patients and the medical
community to sign the UICC Declaration Against Cancer. Visitors can view a video from Wilson
sharing his perspective and support for the UICC and for World Cancer Day. Varian is also
sending daily tweets about World Cancer Day through February 4th and urging every visitor and
Varian employee to use their social networks through Twitter and Facebook to retweet World
Cancer Day messages.
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Varian Medical Systems Joins Global Community in Promoting World Cancer Day
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Noting that World Cancer Day’s 2014 theme has to do with debunking myths about cancer,
Wilson said, “At the most basic level, I think we can help debunk the myth that patients are
powerless against a cancer diagnosis. Information and preventive care are the best weapons in
this battle, but innovation in cancer treatment has made incredible strides and consumers need to
be aware of all their options when discussing treatment with their physicians.“
Wilson pointed out that roughly one-third of cancer deaths can be avoided through education, the
dispelling of myths and misconceptions and addressing some of the known risk factors, for
example, tobacco, overuse of alcohol, poor diet and physical inactivity, sun and UV exposure.
Varian, the world's leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer and
other medical conditions with radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy, and brachytherapy, has
been a longtime supporter of programs that help patients become well informed about their
treatment options.
“Perceptions of radiation therapy must catch up with advances made in the delivery of treatment
as technology has ushered in a new era of devices delivering high precision radiation beams that
minimize damage to healthy tissue and improve outcomes in the treatment of many different
types of cancers,” said Dee Khuntia, Varian’s vice president for medical affairs. “For example,
noninvasive radiosurgery, once considered primarily a treatment of last resort for inoperable
tumors, has advanced to the point where it is now recognized as a non-invasive option that often
yields curative effects for patients with cancer. That is valuable information to a cancer patient
weighing treatment options.”
Varian is committed to ongoing dialogue, education and advocacy to ensure all cancer patients
and their families have a complete understanding of the technologies and treatments available.
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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, and brachytherapy. The
company supplies informatics software for managing comprehensive cancer clinics, radiotherapy centers 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 6,400 people who are located at manufacturing sites in
North America, Europe, and China and 72 sales and support offices around the world. For more information, visit
http://www.varian.com or follow us on Twitter.