Kingston Health Sciences Centre made a significant announcement Wednesday morning, as it revealed it has secured southeastern Ontario’s first positron emission tomography (PET-CT) scanner.
The scanner will be located at the Kingston General Hospital site and will offer advanced imaging for both adult and pediatric patients.
According to the hospital, PET-CT is extremely sensitive and effective for non-invasive detection, diagnosis and monitoring of cancer treatment.
It adds that there are applications for cardiac and neurological diseases.
The scanner will become one of just a handful in use in Ontario and the first to be located between Toronto and Ottawa.
“Currently patients have to travel to a larger city to access this level of imaging technology, which not only is inconvenient, but difficult for those facing a potential cancer diagnosis,” said Dr. David Pichora, KHSC president and CEO.
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“We have been working for years to bring this technology to Kingston and the fact that we have achieved this goal is a testament to the vision and dedication of our health-care teams.”
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The PET-CT, which looks like an MRI machine, uses small amounts of radioactive materials called radiotracers, a special camera, and a computer to look at organ and tissue function.
KHSC says that by identifying changes at the cellular level, it may detect the onset of diseases much earlier than other types of tests, like an MRI or CT scan., and that it is also useful in monitoring a patient’s response to medical treatment.
“This new device will meet a growing need in our region, and we anticipate we will be able to support approximately 1,000 patients in our first year,” said Dr. Omar Islam, head of radiology at KHSC.
“PET-CT is a rapidly expanding field. Partnering with GE HealthCare to bring this technology to KHSC, we are thrilled to provide a new service that will have a significant positive impact on patient care in our region.”
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