Siemens sponsors landmark PBS cancer documentary

06/12/2013

Today, Siemens affirmed its commitment to sponsor the PBS special “Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies” a six-hour, three-part series helmed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name by Siddhartha Mukherjee, the documentary chronicles the 4,000-year effort to understand, treat and ultimately cure cancer. Siemens’ investment in the production is synergistic with the company’s mission of innovating to advance human health.

“We owe our current understanding of the cancer process to the tremendous advancements in imaging, in blood tests and in information technology solutions that make sense of all of the digital data that has been collected – all of which contribute to selecting better treatment options, an improved ability to measure results, and the opportunity for advanced research analysis,” said Gregory Sorensen, MD, president and CEO, Siemens Healthcare, North America. “This documentary will play a formative role in helping more people understand the contributions that medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics and information technology have played in the history of cancer.”

Since the late 1890s Siemens has been delivering tools for physicians and researchers on the forefront of medical research. In 1896 Siemens developed the first industrially manufactured X-ray tubes for medical diagnostics. In 1957 Siemens performed the first automation of chemical analysis. In 1962 Siemens pioneered the first real-time ultrasound diagnostics. In 2000 Time magazine named Siemens’ Biograph positron emission tomography / computed tomography (PET/CT) system as an Invention of the Year – the system was one of the first to fuse information about tumor metabolism with anatomical images. In 2004 Siemens released the MAGNETOM® Avanto, the first full-body MRI system, creating new possibilities for high-resolution MRI to be used in tumor detection. In 2013 Siemens released Healthcare Intelligence, a solution that automates collection of healthcare data; aggregates and standardizes this data across an enterprise; provides predictive analytics helping identify populations at risk; and helps monitor performance at all levels of the organization.

“Medical imaging and laboratory diagnostics help providers save lives and deliver more effective and, in some cases, less invasive care,” said Dr. Sorensen. “Through our commitment to innovation we put the most sophisticated tools in the hands of the people who are actively shaping our understanding of cancer.”


Contact for journalists:

Lance Longwell
Siemens Healthcare, Media Relations
Phone: +1 610 448-1473; E-mail: lance.longwell@siemens.com


The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source – from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimizing clinical workflows for the most common diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some 51,000 employees worldwide and operates around the world. In fiscal year 2012 (to September 30), the Sector posted revenue of 13.6 billion euros and profit of 1.8 billion euros. For further information please visit: www.siemens.com/healthcare.

Subscription Button Icon
Be the first to know about our events, training, and news