“We have extensive experience with the use of TomoTherapy technology here at University of Virginia, and the evolution to the TomoHD treatment system is a natural extension of our capabilities,” said Paul Read, M.D., Ph.D., vice chair of University of Virginia’s Department of Radiation Oncology. “By installing a TomoHD system at our Charlottesville campus, we will have more flexibility to treat complex cancers – such as head and neck tumors – with precision using the TomoTherapy platform’s image-guided radiation therapy capabilities. And for our partner at the community cancer center in Culpeper, TomoHD is an ideal multipurpose device for delivering radiation therapy to patients with common cancers, such as those of the breast or prostate, who don’t want to travel great distances for cutting-edge care.”
According to Stan Benedict, Ph.D., chief of Medical Physics, University of Virginia, installation of the TomoHD treatment systems was highly efficient compared to traditional radiation therapy devices. “We were able to get up and running with the TomoHD systems in one-third of the amount of time it takes with a conventional linear accelerator. This means patients can benefit from our investment in state-of-the-art cancer care in a much shorter timeframe,” said Benedict.
The Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center opened on April 4 and is designed to provide patients with state-of-the-art therapies and comprehensive cancer care. Within a week of the center’s opening, University of Virginia clinicians were treating on average 20 patients a day on the TomoHD system, with a focus on head and neck tumors and hypofractionated courses of radiation for prostate cancer.
The TomoHD treatment system expands on TomoTherapy’s proven technology, which integrates daily CT imaging with precise radiation delivery capabilities. By combining TomoHelical™ and TomoDirect™ delivery modes, the TomoHD treatment system gives clinicians the ability to select the optimal radiation delivery technique and efficiently treat a wide range of tumors using advanced image-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IG-IMRT).
With the TomoHelical mode of delivery, small “beamlets” of radiation are delivered in a helical pattern from any point in a 360° radius around the patient. This rotational delivery pattern enables radiation to be delivered from all angles around a patient, helping to target dose directly to the tumor while avoiding critical organs. As a result of this delivery method, patients often have improved outcomes, fewer side effects and a better quality of life, compared to traditional radiation therapy solutions. The TomoDirect delivery mode facilitates a non-rotational delivery option that enables clinicians to quickly plan and deliver advanced TomoTherapy radiation treatments with a series of linear beam paths, rather than a single helical delivery path, thereby improving efficiency in the treatment of more common or less complex tumors.
“We are proud to work with The University of Virginia to bring the benefits of TomoTherapy technology to patients throughout the state of Virginia,” said Fred Robertson, M.D., president and CEO of TomoTherapy. “With the installation of the TomoHD systems in these two new cancer centers, the UVA Health System is showing its commitment to offering the highest level of care to the broad range of communities it serves.”
About TomoTherapy Incorporated
TomoTherapy Incorporated develops, markets and sells advanced radiation therapy solutions that can be used to treat a wide variety of cancers, from the most common to the most complex. The ring gantry-based TomoTherapy® platform 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. TomoTherapy’s suite of solutions include its flagship Hi·Art® treatment system, which has been used to deliver more than three million CT-guided, helical intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment fractions; the TomoHD™ treatment system, designed to enable cancer centers to treat a broader patient population with a single device; and the TomoMobile™ relocatable radiation therapy solution, designed to improve access and availability of state-of-the-art cancer care. TomoTherapy’s stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol TOMO.
