TomoTherapy to Be Presented With American Cancer Society's "Corporate Distinguished Visionary Award"

TomoTherapy Incorporated has announced that, on Friday, February 25, the company will be presented with the "Corporate Distinguished Visionary Award" by the American Cancer Society. The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. in the TomoTherapy Operations Center.

The Corporate Distinguished Visionary Award is given to companies that have portrayed exemplary public service to the American Cancer Society. This award is being presented to TomoTherapy for their efforts in the fight against cancer, and to recognize a recent $100,000 donation the company made as the exclusive sponsor of the American Cancer Society's Fall 2010 Matching Grant Challenge, a national fundraising campaign.

TomoTherapy contributed $1 for every $1 donated by the general public, up to $100,000, to support the Society's efforts in fighting cancer. TomoTherapy's participation helped increase donor response by 27 percent compared to months that were not part of the Matching Grant Challenge.

"We are proud to partner with TomoTherapy and present the company with our Corporate Distinguished Visionary Award," said Jari Johnston-Allen, CEO of the American Cancer Society, Midwest Division. "TomoTherapy's support of the American Cancer Society has a direct impact on those facing cancer and our ability to help them. We are grateful for their contributions and look forward to our continued partnership in the fight against cancer."

The concepts of TomoTherapy's unique technology were developed in the early 1990s at the University of Wisconsin. A research group there recognized the inherent limitations of conventional radiation therapy machines to leverage computing, imaging and treatment delivery advances for improved sophistication in cancer care. The research group, led by Thomas "Rock" Mackie, Ph.D., and Paul Reckwerdt, set out to develop an integrated device for the delivery of CT image-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IG-IMRT).

TomoTherapy Incorporated was founded in 1997 in Madison, Wis., to commercialize these concepts. In 2002, the company received FDA 510(k) clearance to market its ring gantry-based treatment system, which was first commercially used to treat a patient in July 2003. Since then the company has shipped more than 350 systems to cancer centers in 24 countries, and more than 1,500 peer-reviewed scientific papers have been published that discuss the operational and clinical advantages TomoTherapy's technology affords cancer care providers and their patients.

"TomoTherapy looks forward to accepting the Visionary Award from our partner, the American Cancer Society," said Fred Robertson, TomoTherapy's president and CEO. "It is an honor for us to be recognized for our contributions in the fight against cancer. We remain committed to our mission of enabling the best radiation therapy quality and clinical process for patients and care providers worldwide."