Varian Medical Systems has agreed to market and distribute two of Bionix Radiation Therapy’s brachytherapy applicators in North America.

The Esophageal Applicator (E-App) and the Anorectal Applicator (AR-1) are designed as disposable brachytherapy tools for treating upper GI cancers and anal and rectal cancers, respectively.

The E-App consists of five independently operable balloons that keep the source catheter centered in straight and curvy anatomies. This enhances the ability of the catheter to stay in line with the target of its source and increases distance from healthy tissue.

The AR-1 has a dual balloon design that allows exophytic tumors to press closer to the source catheter, which can then administer a high dose of radiation to the tumor without damaging healthy tissue.

“These applicators are expected to become standard options available to cancer specialists, alongside Varian's already extensive line of BrachyTherapy Applicators,” Tom Pollatz, director of Brachytherapy Solutions at Varian, told HCB News.

The use and efficiency of applicators in treating cancer depends on many factors, including the type of cancer, the treatment needed and the location of the cancer.

For instance, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland adopted Electa’s Venezia, a gynecologic applicator designed to combat advanced forms of cervical cancer, particularly for patients where the cancer has spread to parts beyond the cervix, such as the parametrium and the vagina. It is the first North American clinic to adopt the product.

Radiotherapy devices in general are also causing market growth for the radiotherapy sector with one market report crediting the increased use of devices and procedures as a factor that could propel the market to reach an estimated value of $7,222 million by 2023 at a CAGR rate of 6.2 percent between 2017 and 2023.

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