PALO ALTO, Calif., March 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on its market-leading efforts in preclinical research aimed at clinical implementation of Flash therapy, Varian (NYSE: VAR) hosted the first meeting of the FlashForward™ Consortium in Atlanta, Georgia on March 8-9. The two-day meeting consisted of 50 Consortium members representing 14 institutions from around the globe, including key opinion leaders in the field of radiation oncology, translational sciences and medical physics.

During the meeting, attendees worked to identify pre-clinical studies recommended in the continued discovery around mechanism-of-action, and offered guidance on the design, safety and quality acceptance guidelines for the first human clinical trials. The members also reviewed initial Flash therapy treatment plans using Varian Eclipse™ treatment planning software in conjunction with the unique advantages associated with the ProBeam delivery platform.

"Overall, the energy, enthusiasm, and quality of the discussions was inspirational," remarked Kolleen Kennedy, president of Varian Proton Solutions & chief growth officer. "The global radiation oncology community is recognizing the potentially transformative impact Flash therapy may have with respect to global standards of care and the positive results it may have for patients in their fight against cancer."
Flash therapy is defined as 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. Varian's proton platform has the most powerful clinical accelerator on the market, optimized to deliver the ultra-high dose rates necessary to produce the Flash biological impact.

The FlashForward Consortium is focused on preclinical research, clinical implementation and advocacy efforts for Flash therapy.

Members include representatives from the following 14 luminary institutions:

University of Maryland Department of Radiation Oncology
Cincinnati Children's/UC Health Proton Therapy Center
Danish Centre for Particle Therapy
Holland Particle Therapy Centre
New York Proton Center
Penn Medicine
The Christie Proton Therapy Centre
University College London
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Emory Proton Therapy Center
Paul Scherrer Institute
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Proton Therapy
VU University Medical Center Amsterdam
South Florida Proton Therapy Institute
The next FlashForward Consortium meeting is scheduled for June 11th in Manchester, England during PTCOG 2019.


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.

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