Europe's New Cancer Care Standard: Precision Tech, Human Touch

AVIGNON, France – December 10, 2025 – In the heart of Provence, a region known for its serene landscapes, a revolution in cancer care is quietly taking place. The Institut du Cancer Avignon-Provence (ICAP) has become the first center in Europe to implement a fully integrated radiotherapy ecosystem from Varian, a Siemens Healthineers company. This isn't merely an equipment upgrade; it's a fundamental shift in the philosophy of cancer treatment, weaving together unprecedented technological precision with a deep commitment to the patient’s human experience.

The installation of Varian’s Halcyon 5.0 platform, combined with IDENTIFY real-time motion management, the PerfectKinetix Dynamic Couch, and HyperSight imaging, marks a significant milestone. While the technical specifications are impressive, the true story lies at the intersection of this technology and the individuals it serves. It’s a narrative about building trust—the clinician’s trust in their tools to target a tumor with sub-millimeter accuracy, and the patient’s trust in a system designed to make one of life’s most difficult journeys more manageable, comfortable, and hopeful.

The Anatomy of Precision

At the core of modern radiotherapy lies a paradox: the need to deliver a powerful, destructive dose of radiation to a cancerous tumor while meticulously protecting the delicate healthy tissue surrounding it. The new Varian ecosystem at ICAP addresses this challenge with a suite of integrated technologies designed to see, track, and adapt with unparalleled accuracy.

The system’s eyes are HyperSight, a next-generation cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging solution. Traditional in-room imaging can take up to a minute, a long time for a patient to hold their breath or remain perfectly still. HyperSight acquires a complete, high-definition 3D image in as little as six seconds. This dramatic reduction in time not only enhances patient comfort but also minimizes image artifacts caused by movement, providing clinicians with a crystal-clear view of the target anatomy just moments before treatment. Furthermore, HyperSight provides Hounsfield Unit (HU) accuracy comparable to a diagnostic CT scan, a crucial feature that enables on-the-spot dose calculations and opens the door to true adaptive radiotherapy.

Working in concert with HyperSight is IDENTIFY, a surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT) system that acts as a digital guardian. Using sophisticated camera technology, it creates a 3D model of the patient's external surface and tracks their position in real-time with sub-millimeter accuracy. If the patient moves even slightly beyond a predefined threshold, the system can automatically pause the radiation beam. This constant vigilance ensures the treatment is delivered exactly as planned, enhancing safety and giving clinicians confidence to treat complex targets near critical organs.

Completing the trio is the PerfectKinetix Dynamic Couch. More than just a table, it’s an intelligent positioning system that moves smoothly and efficiently to align the patient with the treatment beam. This streamlined workflow reduces the time spent on manual adjustments, getting the patient into the correct position faster and more comfortably. As Dr. Catherine Khamphan, Medical Physicist and Head of Research and Development at ICAP, noted, “It is impressive to see how Varian has succeeded in responding to the needs of therapists, physicists, and oncologists with this new radiotherapy platform.”

Redefining the Patient Experience

For a person undergoing cancer treatment, the hospital can become a place of anxiety and discomfort. The technology, often intimidating and loud, can feel alienating. The Halcyon platform was engineered from the ground up to counter this. The gantry is fully enclosed, creating a quieter environment than conventional linear accelerators. Its compact bore is designed to feel less claustrophobic, and the lower couch height makes it easier for patients, especially those who are frail, to get on and off the table.

These design choices are not superficial; they are central to the principle of human-centered care. The integration of HyperSight and the PerfectKinetix couch means the entire process—from imaging to positioning to treatment—is dramatically faster. A session that might have taken 20-30 minutes on an older machine can now be completed in closer to 10 minutes. For a patient, this means less time immobilized, less time feeling vulnerable, and more time getting on with their life.

This focus on efficiency and comfort directly impacts the patient's psychological well-being. Reducing the time spent on the treatment table mitigates stress and anxiety. The non-invasive nature of the IDENTIFY surface-guidance system can also reduce the need for permanent tattoos or skin markings, a small but meaningful benefit that prevents a patient from carrying a permanent physical reminder of their treatment long after it has concluded.

A New Frontline for Hard-to-Treat Cancers

Perhaps the most profound impact of this integrated system is its potential to transform outcomes for some of the most challenging malignancies, such as pancreatic cancer. Treating the pancreas with radiation is notoriously difficult. The organ is nestled deep within the abdomen, surrounded by sensitive structures like the stomach, intestines, and spinal cord. It also moves with every breath.

This is where the concept of adaptive radiotherapy, enabled by HyperSight’s high-quality imaging, becomes a clinical game-changer. Tumors can shrink and organs can shift during a multi-week course of radiation. With traditional methods, treatment plans are based on an initial CT scan and remain static, requiring large safety margins that can expose healthy tissue to unnecessary radiation. With this new system, clinicians can acquire a high-fidelity image each day, see exactly how the anatomy has changed, and adapt the treatment plan accordingly. This daily personalization ensures the radiation dose remains focused on the tumor while maximally sparing surrounding organs.

This capability is what allows for dose escalation—safely delivering a higher, more effective dose of radiation to the tumor than was previously possible. For Dr. Pierre Trémolières, a Radiation Oncologist at ICAP, this opens up exciting possibilities. “These innovations could open the door to new treatment possibilities in our center, such as dose escalation in adaptive radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer while preserving surrounding organs at risk,” he stated. “Treatment options for pancreatic cancer remain limited, and offering new therapeutic strategies is crucial.” This approach could improve local tumor control and potentially make more patients eligible for curative surgery.

Europe’s New Oncology Benchmark

The adoption of this complete Halcyon 5.0 ecosystem positions ICAP not just as a regional leader, but as a standard-bearer for advanced cancer care in Europe. While other centers may have components of this technology, ICAP is the first to bring them all together in a single, seamless workflow. This move reflects a broader trend in oncology, where the focus is shifting from standalone devices to integrated solutions that manage the entire patient journey.

This approach stands in contrast to other emerging technologies like MRI-linacs, which use magnetic resonance imaging for real-time guidance. Varian’s strategy leverages the speed and accessibility of advanced CBCT, arguing that its HyperSight technology provides the necessary image quality and accuracy for adaptive therapy in a much more efficient and cost-effective package. ICAP’s investment represents a significant vote of confidence in this vision.

As Virve Sarja, Head of Varian for Europe, Middle East and Africa, commented, “This installation reflects our commitment to supporting cancer centers and clinical teams with innovative solutions that elevate precision, improve the patient experience, and make personalized care more accessible.” By serving as a European reference site, ICAP will generate crucial real-world data on the clinical and operational benefits of this integrated approach, influencing future investment decisions at hospitals across the continent.

Ultimately, the arrival of this technology in Avignon is about more than just treating cancer with a new machine. It's about building a more resilient, responsive, and humane healthcare system. By arming clinicians with tools that provide greater confidence and control, and by designing systems that prioritize patient dignity and comfort, the technology itself becomes a conduit for trust, empowering both the provider and the patient in the fight against cancer.