Institute Curie Hospital in France adds another TomoTherapy radiation therapy system

TomoTherapy Incorporated (NASDAQ: TOMO) announced today that the Institute Curie Hospital in France has purchased a second TomoTherapy® radiation therapy system, to support the increasing demand for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). The Institute Curie Hospital has been treating cancer patients with TomoTherapy technology since March 2007, when it became the first hospital in France to adopt the technology. Now, with this most recent purchase, there are eight TomoTherapy systems in use in France to treat patients with routine, complex and rare cancers.

"We typically treat our most complex cases -- such as sarcomas, head and neck tumors with multiple treatment volumes, and lung, pancreatic and liver cancers -- with TomoTherapy," said Dr. Alain Fourquet, head of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Institute Curie Hospital. "The addition of a second unit will allow us to increase our ability to care for more patients in need of advanced radiation therapy and enable us to expand the types of indications we can treat to include pelvic tumors and some complicated cases of breast cancer. In addition, we hope to use the second TomoTherapy system to assist us in conducting prospective clinical trials and research in physics projects."

The Institute Curie is a private foundation combining France's largest cancer research center and a leading edge hospital. It was founded in 1909 by Marie Curie with the primary purpose of defeating cancer, and it received state approval as a foundation in 1921. Internationally renowned for its work in the diagnosis and treatment of cancers, the Institute Curie serves as a reference center throughout the world on the implementation of innovative treatments.

The second TomoTherapy system at Institute Curie Hospital will replace an aging cobalt radiation machine. The small footprint of the TomoTherapy unit will enable the hospital to install the new technology while minimizing the need for extensive remodeling. The hospital decided to purchase its first TomoTherapy system after the National Cancer Institute called for research proposals to promote IMRT technology not previously available in France.

"The Institute Curie is among the most prestigious cancer research facilities in the world and is well known for its high standard of care," said Patrice Lompech, TomoTherapy sales manager in France. "The hospital's decision to expand its TomoTherapy practice is further validation of the platform's power for treating a wide variety of cases and demonstrates the confidence staff has in our platform, as they provide the highest quality 3D image-guided treatments for patients."

The Institute Curie will present three TomoTherapy treatment-related abstracts at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) being held November 1-5, 2009, in Chicago. The scientific papers highlight Institute Curie's research work involving uncommon and clinically challenging cases in plasmocytoma and extensive malignant lymphoma in conjunction with stem cell transplant, as well as preliminary studies on the use of TomoTherapy technology in breast cancer treatment.