2011 International Conference on TomoTherapy (ICT) Highlights Widespread Acceptance of the Benefits of Daily Image-Guided IMRT

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Sep 23, 2011, 08:30 ET

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), the premier radiation oncology company, today announced details of the 2011 International Conference on TomoTherapy (ICT), which took place September 16-17, 2011 hosted by the University of Heidelberg, Germany's oldest University and world famous research center for cancer and microbiology. University of Heidelberg was the first institution in Germany to adopt the TomoTherapy® System for daily image-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (DIG-IMRT) with its installation in 2006. The university started treating patients on their second TomoTherapy System in January 2011.

The ICT provides a forum to discuss the clinical capabilities, innovative concepts and ongoing clinical trials for TomoTherapy technology. In attendance this year were approximately 200 participants from around the world, composed of users and non-users of the TomoTherapy System.

Keynote addresses were given by Prof. Steve Webb, Professor of Radiological Physics from Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Trust, Sutton, UK, and conference chair Prof. Jurgen Debus, Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Heidelberg. Prof. Webb's talk, titled 'Rotation Radiotherapy: A Revolution in Radiotherapy' reviewed the evolution of IMRT and highlighted the superiority of the dose modulation techniques available today. Prof. Debus' presentation 'Photons meet Particles' addressed the potential new standards particles can set in the future, underlining the limitations and open questions of this technique today. He insisted on the fact that it is not about "either photons or particles", but about finding the right balance and indications.

"We were extremely pleased with the strong international representation and high quality of clinical and technical presentations at this year's conference," said Prof. Debus. "The ICT provides the medical community with an important forum for translating the benefits of new technologies into real improvements in the treatment of cancer."

Presentations highlighted TomoTherapy System usage for central nervous system, head & neck, breast, gastrointestinal, prostate and lung cancer treatments. Attendees also presented on the advantages of the TomoTherapy System in hemato-oncological, pediatric applications and adaptive radiation therapy, dosimetry, treatment planning, QA and new technical developments.

Abstracts from the ICT will be published in the October issue of Strahlentherapie und Onkologie, the oldest oncological journal in the world, which is the official journal of the scientific societies in Germany, Austria, Hungary and Romania.

"The level of interest in this year's ICT is a testament to the TomoTherapy System's evolution from a unique technical approach to a wide-spread IMRT solution that's in practice worldwide," said Euan Thomson, Ph.D., president and CEO of Accuray. "We are grateful to the clinicians from University of Heidelberg for hosting this important scientific exchange and for giving me the opportunity to speak to attendees about Accuray's personalized approach to advancing cancer care."

More information on the ICT can be found on the conference website: www.tomoconference2011.com.

About Accuray

Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY), based in Sunnyvale, Calif., is the premier radiation oncology company that develops, manufactures and sells personalized, innovative treatment solutions that set the standard of care with the aim of helping patients live longer, better lives. The Company's leading-edge technologies – the CyberKnife and TomoTherapy Systems – are designed to deliver radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiation therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy, image guided radiation therapy, and adaptive radiation therapy. To date, more than 200,000 patients worldwide have been treated using the company's technologies and more than 575 systems have been installed in leading hospitals around the world. For more information, please visit www.accuray.com.

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