A brand new state-of-the-art scanner used for the detection and diagnosis of cancer is due to be up and running at Bath’s Royal United Hospital (RUH) by April 2016.
PET-CT scanners work by combining two scanning techniques – Positron Emission Tomography and Computerised Tomography – to provide strikingly detailed and precise images of cancer cells in the body.
It gives clinicians a much clearer picture of the spread of a cancer, how it is responding to treatment, and whether any cancerous cells remain following a course of treatment.
The RUH was identified as one of six new sites for PET-CT scanning earlier this year as part of a commitment by NHS England to increase patient access to the vital service.
With the combined expertise of consultant radiologists, radiographers, medical physicists and oncology clinicians, the RUH is the perfect choice of location for PET-CT scanning services.
Provision of the scanner has been made possible due to the fundraising efforts of the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group (BCUSG).
The charity has so far raised in excess of £1.1m of the £1.2m required to purchase this vital and life-saving piece of advanced diagnostic equipment.
The RUH will invest a further £1.4m to cover the costs of installation.
The RUH’s Clinical Lead for Haematology and Oncology, Dr Emma De Winton said: ‘The PET- CT scanner will have a huge impact for many of our cancer patients who will no longer have to travel to Cheltenham for this scan.
“PET-CT is essential for accurately assessing the extent of many types of cancer so that the best treatment can be offered to each individual patient.
“It also has an expanding role in planning and assessing a patient’s response to radiotherapy treatment.’
The benefits of the PET-CT scanner will extend beyond the diagnosis of cancer – the equipment will also be used extensively in cancer drug trials and in other clinical settings.
PET-CT is increasingly being used in the diagnosis of dementias and in research to better understand this group of diseases, especially Alzheimer’s disease.
Having a PET-CT scanner on site will give the RUH greater opportunity for working collaboratively with colleagues from the Research Institute for the Care of Older People (RICE) in both their clinical work and the essential research they conduct into dementia-related conditions.
Provision of the new scanner is part of the Trust’s wider strategy for transforming Cancer Care. Plans are already underway for a new cancer centre at the RUH.
The £23.5m Centre for Cancer Care will be built using a similar approach to that employed in the creation of the hospital’s award- winning Dyson Centre for Neonatal Care – offering cancer patients a truly holistic approach to the treatment of their condition in a beautifully designed, sympathetic environment.
