"TomoTherapy is a revolutionary improvement in radiation oncology, providing additional reassurance for both doctors and patients," said radiation oncologist Dr. Jerry Barker. "The combination of CT imaging and treatment delivery allows visual confirmation that the tumor is being precisely treated on a daily basis. In the past, we carefully designed IMRT (intensity-modulated radiation therapy) treatments using a single CT scan. Now we can guarantee we are hitting the target."

Dr. Alex Turner, chief medical physicist at Moncrief, said what sets TomoTherapy apart from conventional treatment-delivery systems is its efficiency and precision, enhanced by image-guided radiotherapy.

"TomoTherapy combines treatment planning, patient positioning and treatment delivery into one process," he said. "It is designed to simplify the treatment process, precisely deliver the planned dose of radiation, and minimize the dosage to sensitive and healthy tissues. It allows us to take a CT (computerized tomography) scan just before each treatment so we can verify the position of the tumor, and adjust the patient position as necessary to ensure that the radiation is precisely directed to the target area."

Dr. Turner predicted TomoTherapy's IGRT technology would significantly impact how radiation therapy is delivered in the future. "TomoTherapy is clearly gaining rapid acceptance by the leading radiation therapy centers worldwide," Dr. Turner said. "Since the first commercial unit began treating patients in 2003, there are 15 facilities worldwide including Moncrief utilizing TomoTherapy."

The $3.1 million system is installed at Moncrief's flagship facility at
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Contact: Mike Blackman
michael.blackman@utsouthwestern.edu
214-648-3404
UT Southwestern Medical Center
10-Nov-2004