Prime Minister to Open World Class Cancer Scanning Centre

ASCOT RADIOLOGY OPENS WORLD CLASS PET CT SCANNING CENTRE IN AUCKLAND

Accuracy, timeliness and precision of diagnosis and treatment are top of the wish list for any person diagnosed with cancer. And now, with the launch of a new, world class PET CT scanning service, Ascot Radiology will be helping patients and their doctors in the fight against cancer.

Ascot Radiology’s new PET CT scanning centre will be officially opened today in Auckland by the Rt Hon John Key. The new centre offers some of the world’s most advanced technology and scanning equipment, with many additional and beneficial features unique to Ascot Radiology and in New Zealand.

Head of the Northern Cancer network, oncologist Dr Richard Sullivan, believes PET CT scanning is an important tool in the fight against cancer.

“It is fantastic to have greater access to PET CT scanning in Auckland. This technology provides the ability to better diagnose selected cancers and ensure the best care. By providing improved and more detailed imaging, clinicians can also determine the most appropriate treatment and in some cases, avoid unnecessary and invasive surgery”, said Dr Sullivan.

PET CT scanning is a combination of a normal CT scan and a PET scan. On a simple CT image, the doctor sees the body’s anatomic structure, similar to how a map shows the outlines of counties or states.

Tumours use much more glucose than other body tissue and on a PET image, the doctor can see where the body is using glucose – like a satellite weather image shows areas of intense weather activity. When these two images are overlaid into a PET/CT image, a complete picture of the patient’s health is revealed, providing doctors with significantly improved cancer detection and localisation.

PET CT scanning is the most advanced diagnostic tool in the world for identifying and fighting cancer, assisting doctors in determining the most appropriate form of treatment. It can help avoid unnecessary surgery or provide reassurance that more radical treatment is the most appropriate option.

PET CT scanning can also be used to monitor the outcomes from chemotherapy and radiotherapy as well as measure future cancer growth or remission.

Regular follow up scans are recommended for all cancer patients, but along with this comes the need to balance the best possible scanning with the desire for the lowest possible radiation exposure.

With this in mind, Ascot Radiology has invested in specific new reconstruction technology which greatly reduces the radiation dose, a feature which is unique to Radiology and not available anywhere else in New Zealand.

Additionally, the image quality is greatly improved by ‘Time of Flight’ technology and motion correction technology to reduce the effects of the patient’s breathing movements on the image.
“From providing the best possible diagnostic care through to ensuring the most comfortable patient experience possible, anything we can do to benefit the client is a priority for us”, said David Rogers, principal radiologist at Ascot Radiology.

“Many patients will already have received significant doses of radiation during their treatment and future exposure to any level of radiation is a concern. Investing in a more expensive scanner that allowed us to reduce radiation dose was an obvious decision”, said David.

Access to PET CT scanning in New Zealand is well behind other first world countries with the Ministry of Health previously funding many patients to travel to Australia for scans.

One reason for this has been the necessity to import the isotopes required from Australia. However, a New Zealand-based supply source is now available and demand for PET CT scanning is expected to increase as access improves.

Patients can book appointments at Ascot Radiology’s new PET CT scanning centre by calling 09 520 9550.

ENDS