Exhibit 99.1

Terry Lautenbach, Lead Director for Varian Medical Systems Board, Passes Away

    PALO ALTO, Calif., June 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Varian Medical
Systems, Inc. (NYSE: VAR) Board of Directors today regrets to report the death
of its Lead Director, Terry R. Lautenbach, in New York earlier this week.  He
was 65.
    "We are deeply saddened at this sudden and tragic loss of our friend and
colleague," said Richard M. Levy, chairman and CEO of Varian Medical Systems.
"Terry was special in all respects -- a business man, a friend, a man of
action, and a man of superb judgment.  For those of us who worked with him on
the Varian Medical Systems Board, he was an inspiration who enlivened and
contributed valuable insights to our deliberations.  We will miss him greatly
and we extend our condolences to his wife, Carole, and the entire Lautenbach
family."
    Mr. Lautenbach has served on the company's board since 1993, first with
Varian Associates and then with Varian Medical Systems following the spin-off
of the instruments and semiconductor manufacturing businesses in 1999.  In
addition to serving Varian Medical Systems as Lead Director, Mr. Lautenbach
has served on Board's Executive, Audit, Nominating and Corporate Governance,
Compensation and Management Development, and Strategy and Technology
committees.
    A retired senior vice president of International Business Machines
Corporation, Mr. Lautenbach was also a director of CVS Corporation and
Footstar, Inc.  He was a resident of Florida, where services will be held
beginning Monday.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Lautenbach
Scholarship Fund at Elder High School in Cincinnati, OH.

    Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California is the world's
leading manufacturer of integrated cancer therapy systems, which are treating
thousands of patients per day.

    CONTACT:  Spencer Sias of Varian Medical Systems, Inc., +1-650-424-5782,
or spencer.sias@varian.com.

SOURCE  Varian Medical Systems, Inc.
    -0-                             06/04/2004
    /CONTACT:  Spencer Sias of Varian Medical Systems, Inc., +1-650-424-5782,
or spencer.sias@varian.com/
    /Web site:  http://www.varian.com /
    (VAR)

CO:  Varian Medical Systems, Inc.
ST:  California
IN:  BIO MTC HEA
SU:  PER