TomoTherapy Hosts EMEA User Symposium

22/05/2008 - 12:25

TomoTherapy Incorporated (NASDAQ:

TOMO) announced today that the company held an EMEA (Europe, Middle

East, Africa) User Symposium, May 15-17 in Antalya, Turkey.

Representatives from 26 hospitals and clinics in nine countries attended

the event where TomoTherapy formally introduced Jef Van Dam as General

Manager of European Operations and established its EMEA Users Group

chaired by Professor Klaus Herfarth, M.D., Director of Radiation

Oncology, University Clinic, Heidelberg, Germany. "The EMEA User Symposium was a great

opportunity to exchange experience and the latest research using helical

IMRT (intensity-modulated radiation therapy)," said Van Dam, who will oversee TomoTherapy´s

continued growth in Europe. "The attendees

benefited from a strong exchange of thoughts, ideas and the latest

successes in the fight against cancer." In Prof. Dr. Herfarth´s opening remarks for

the symposium, he said: "The University of

Heidelberg has used the Hiâˆ™Art system

for the last two years. In that time, we have treated nearly 400

patients, many of whom traveled across the entire country to receive a

therapy not available in the hospitals next to their home. TomoTherapy has widened and improved the already broad spectrum of radiation

treatment techniques in Heidelberg and it will continue to do so in more

places around the world." The symposium was presented in partnership with Istanbul´s

Italian Hospital, the first center in Turkey to treat cancer patients

using the TomoTherapy Hiâˆ™Art system. Professor Ahmet Öber, Chief of the

Radiotherapy Department at the Italian Hospital, welcomed the crowd and

discussed why his center chose the TomoTherapy Hi·Art treatment system: "We considered conventional

linac alternatives, but they just are not designed for IMRT. Why should

we buy old technology and upgrade it? TomoTherapy is designed for

IMRT and IGRT, and this is the best choice for our patients. We are

excited to bring this technology to patients in Turkey." Presentations by other European users focused on the range and

versatility of the Hi·Art treatment

system. Users discussed TomoTherapy treatment advantages as

compared to 3D conformal radiation therapy and conventional IMRT for

prostate, head and neck and pediatric cases. A dedicated session also

explored how accurately and efficiently the Hi·Art treatment system uses imaging and motion management in both lung and

breast cancer cases. "CT (computed tomography) is the basis of radiation therapy planning and

the tool that is needed to go from virtual assessment of treatment

volumes to reality," said Dr. Heinrich Schüller

M.D., University Clinic, Bonn, Germany. "CT

scanning immediately before the point of treatment is the best way to

predict accurately where the dose will be delivered. We can effectively

see what we treat. Furthermore, helical TomoTherapy is the only

treatment machine that produces CT images comparable to diagnostic

imaging, which allows for quantitative analysis of a patient´s

treatment." Another highlight of the event included a treatment planning workshop

which taught users optimal techniques for target coverage and organ

sparing while minimizing treatment beam-on time to speed throughput. "TomoTherapy is a completely new

concept in radiotherapy. It represents a paradigm shift that is a

significant improvement over conventional platforms and techniques," said Beth Klein, TomoTherapy´s Vice President

of Global Sales. "We believe that partnering

with our customers will help us leverage the power of our technology as

we work together to improve the future of cancer care. Facilitating

educational opportunities is one way we can do this, and the hiring of

key personnel like Jef Van Dam is another. Jef is a proven commercial

leader in high growth global healthcare markets. He will help identify

more market opportunity, capture the voice of our customers and drive

solutions that are tailored to the needs of their local markets." Jef Van Dam joins TomoTherapy from GE Lunar, where he held several

European and internationally-focused senior management roles. Prior to

joining GE, he held positions in sales, marketing and product

development in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry. Before

moving to the industry, Van Dam held research and teaching assignments

at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, where he earned his Ph.D.

in toxicology and graduated as industrial pharmacist. About TomoTherapy Incorporated TomoTherapy Incorporated has developed, markets and sells the TomoTherapy® Hi·Art® treatment system, an advanced radiation therapy system for the treatment

of a wide variety of cancers. The Hi·Art treatment system combines integrated CT imaging with conformal radiation

therapy to deliver sophisticated radiation treatments with speed and

precision while reducing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy

tissue. The company´s stock is traded on the

NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol TOMO. To learn more about

reserved. TomoTherapy, the TomoTherapy logo and Hi·Art

are among trademarks, service marks or registered trademarks of

TomoTherapy Incorporated.