UK Hospital Commences Cancer Treatment With TomoTherapy Hi-Art Radiation Therapy System

Madison, WI - TomoTherapy Incorporated recently announced that Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, England has begun treating cancer patients with the TomoTherapy Hi-Art system. Addenbrooke's, run by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is the first National Health Service (NHS)-affiliated institution to install the Hi-Art system, an innovative technology solution that uses a CT scanner-based design to deliver image-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IG/IMRT) from all angles around the patient.

"We are honored to work with Addenbrooke's and the Trust to make TomoTherapy technology available to NHS cancer patients in the UK," said Beth Klein, vice president of global sales for TomoTherapy. "We are confident that the Trust has chosen the right platform to achieve their goals of evaluating next-generation technology and maximizing the treatment potential for patients."

The Oncology Centre at Addenbrooke's serves more than 4,000 new patients a year with common and rare forms of cancer. The provision of services to patients is closely linked with the University of Cambridge Department of Oncology, which ensures that high-quality cancer care is underpinned by research excellence. A multi-disciplinary team in the departments of Oncology and Medical Physics will conduct research on the TomoTherapy Hi-Art system's ability to facilitate dose escalation, which is expected to improve tumor control and cure, while reducing normal tissue toxicity, which can lead to a reduction in side effects from radiation treatment.

"The Hi-Art system's CT-guided, helical IMRT deliveries represent a significant advance in radiotherapy," stated Dr. Neil Burnet, a clinical oncologist at Addenbrooke's. "With this one device, we can image the patient's tumour and surrounding anatomy immediately before each daily treatment. Then, using the same equipment, we can deliver highly-conformal radiation to the target from 360 degrees, enabling us to treat complex or intricate shapes, or multiple target lesions, with a single set-up."

Addenbrooke's Hospital was founded in 1766 and remains one of England's largest and most prestigious hospitals, having recently scored ‘excellent' for both quality of services and use of resources in the annual Healthcare Commission ‘Health Check'.

SOURCE: TomoTherapy Incorporated