Charing Cross Hospital in London, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, is expecting a rise in cancer survival rates following the installation of a Biograph™ 64 TruePoint™ PET•CT from Siemens Healthcare. This advanced system provides detailed images, showing the stages of various cancers to ensure the best course of treatment.
The hybrid system combines PET and CT in one examination process to show specific details including the metabolic and biochemical functions of the body with anatomical information. As PET is used alongside CT during a single scan, the precise localisation of both healthy and diseased tissue is achieved to assist in cancer care planning. PET•CT is ideal for cancer diagnosis as well as surgical and radiotherapy planning.
“The Biograph 64 is the most advanced system of its kind,” said Professor Adil Al-Nahhas, Chief of Service of Nuclear Medicine at Charing Cross Hospital. “The quality and image resolution of the PET•CT makes it a great tool for lesion detection, pinpointing even the smallest anomalies for more accurate radiotherapy planning. This will dramatically improve the survival rates of our cancer patients.”
“This is the first dedicated PET•CT for Charing Cross Hospital. Whereas previously we were scanning around two patients per day on the Hammersmith site, now we have been able to significantly improve the number of patients scanned and reduce waiting times,” said Wendy Wallis, Superintendent Radiographer at Charing Cross Hospital. “With this combined system both Nuclear Medicine Technologists and Radiographers can carry out diagnostic investigations, enabling clinicians to deliver the best treatment programme for our patients.”
The new system is the only PET•CT at the Trust, which includes Hammersmith Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital. Its main use is in the management of cancer treatment, providing detailed images to assist with disease assessment. Charing Cross Hospital also plans to use the Biograph 64 for cardiac and neuro-psychiatric referrals at a later stage.
The Biograph 64 combines fast scanning times at a lower dose. It features TrueV technology that offers increased axial coverage of the PET field of view by 33%, resulting in a 70% increase in Noise Equivalent Count (NEC) performance. This doubles the clinical performance or allows 50% less injected dose to the patient. TruePoint technology also improves lesion detection for greater diagnostic confidence. At Charing Cross, this has greatly assisted with clinical decision making.
Radiotherapy tailored to individual patient needs is also planned for the future at the site. This will help patients undergoing cancer treatment by providing clear images of the anatomy combined with functional information. This in turn will swiftly allow clinicians to determine and implement the best possible course of clinical action and more effective disease management.
“We are delighted with the successes of this installation,” said Gary Cook, Regional Sales Manager at Siemens Healthcare. “The Biograph 64 is an excellent system for cancer management and we are pleased to see that Charing Cross Hospital will be extending the range of procedures it can complete, making full use of the system’s high quality imaging capabilities both as a PET•CT hybrid and when required as a dedicated high performance 64 slice CT scanner.”
About Siemens Healthcare
The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world’s largest suppliers to the healthcare industry. The company is a renowned medical solutions provider with core competence and innovative strength in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies as well as in knowledge engineering, including information technology and system integration. With its laboratory diagnostics acquisitions, Siemens Healthcare is the first integrated healthcare company, bringing together imaging and lab diagnostics, therapy and healthcare information technology solutions, supplemented by consulting and support services. Siemens Healthcare delivers solutions across the entire continuum of care – from prevention and early detection, to diagnosis, therapy and care. Additionally, Siemens Healthcare is the global market leader in innovative hearing instruments. The company employs more than 49,000 people worldwide and operates in 130 countries. In the fiscal year 2008 (Sept. 30), Siemens Healthcare reported sales of €11.2 billion, orders of €11.8 billion, and Sector profit of €1.2 billion. Further information can be found by visiting http://www.siemens.co.uk/healthcare.
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