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 Hi∙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 Hi∙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
TomoTherapy, please visit TomoTherapy.com. ©2008 TomoTherapy Incorporated. All rights
reserved. TomoTherapy, the TomoTherapy logo and Hi·Art
are among trademarks, service marks or registered trademarks of
TomoTherapy Incorporated.
