CALGARY – Calgarians suspected of having cancer will have to wait less time to receive a proper diagnosis and corresponding treatment plan says Alberta Health Services.
AHS says it will triple the amount of positron emission tomography or computed tomography (PET/CT) scans performed in Calgary by mid-2012. The scans are performed for patients who may have lung and colorectal cancers, melanoma, lymphoma or cancers of the head and neck.
Scan capacity will jump to almost 5,500 from just under 1,800 a year.
“This capacity boost means improved cancer treatment decisions and individualized care pathways for more patients,” says Dr. Chris Molnar, Head of Nuclear Medicine in Calgary.
The CT scan can pinpoint the size, shape and location of abnormalities in the body while the PET scan can show additional cancer sites not readily visible on a CT.
AHS says the results of PET/CT scans change the course of treatment in as many a one-third of cancer cases and can help avoid unnecessary surgery, radiation treatment and chemotherapy.
The additional scans will be implemented in two phases; the first will include an extra day and five evening shifts a week of PET/CT scans at the Foothills Medical Centre. The second phase will see a second PET/CT scanner installed by spring 2012.
PET/CT scans allow physicians to accurately diagnose and manage a range of conditions aside from cancer including neurological and cardiovascular disease.
Reducing wait times for cancer care is among the goals outlines in AHS’s 5-year Health Action Plan.
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