Diagnosis of cancer equals world's best; The North of England Cancer Network has brought a state-of-the-art scanner to the region, offering NHS cancer patients. world-class diagnostic facilities closer to home. Health Reporter HELEN RAE explains

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), May 18, 2009

Byline: HELEN RAE

ANEW scanner which uses advanced technology has been brought to the North East to improve diagnosis and treatment for NHS cancer patients.

The Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography (PET CT) scanner offers patients world-class diagnostic facilities close to home.

The North of England

Cancer Network has brought the scanner to Newcastle's Freeman Hospital, meaning patients need no longer travel to London for the scans.

PET CT scanner technology works at the speed of light to create highly detailed images which identify where and how advanced a cancer is, so doctors can plan how to treat the disease.

The technology can be used on various types of cancer, including lung, bowel and lymphoma, and help in diagnosis, staging of the disease and treatment.

John Wilsdon, consultant radiologist for Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and PET clinical lead for the North of England Cancer Network, said: "This is a great leap forward for the treatment of patients.

"This scanner has brought the North East up to a world-class level. Our cancer diagnosis, staging and treatment are now as good as anywhere else in the world." The PET CT service is part of the Department of Health's independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) programme.

ISTCs provide extra capacity for elective surgery and diagnostic assessments, improve care for patients, cut waiting times and give more choice to patients.

PET scanners can work alongside CT scanners to combine images of malignant cancer, picked up by the PET scan, with images of a patient's anatomy from the CT scan.

This information is fused so doctors can look at the tumours from many angles - something they could not do with a CT scanner.

The fused scans show exactly where the cancer is and its stage and extent so that the most appropriate treatment can be given.

The information can tell a doctor if the patient is appropriate for surgery or if they should receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Dr Wilsdon said: "The PET CT scanner is making sure surgery and treatment are targeted for the appropriate people.

"It can show the distribution of the cancer at the beginning of diagnosis and also the response the patient is having to treatment to see if it is working. In both cases a CT We are have bring scanner to for our to scan can't answer those questions - only a PET scan can." Most PET CT scans are at present used for cancer, but in future they may be used to diagnose and treat conditions such as dementia and epilepsy.

Dr Wilsdon stressed the scanning technique was not perfect and was more appropriate for some cancers than others, but it was the best diagnostic and staging tool in the world today.

Network director for the North of England Cancer Network Roy McLachlan said: "We are delighted to have been able to bring this state-of-the-art PET CT scanner to the region to provide the best treatment possible for our patients close to their homes.

"This means people living in the North East can now access the very best, leadingedge diagnostic technique there is." The PET CT scanner is owned and staffed by Alliance Medical, an independent radiography service provider, and is in a mobile unit in the hospital grounds.

NHS North of Tyne commissions the scanner service on behalf of primary care groups in the North East.

NHS North of Tyne medical director Dr Mike Guy said: "The new PET CT scanner is a fantastic step forward for patients in the region.

"It means they will no longer have to make a long and tiring journey to London for a scan whilst undergoing gruelling treatment.

"The detailed scans will also lead to more targeted treatment of cancer which will improve the outcome for our patients." to able to state- ofthe- PET CT the region the best possible close homesWe are delighted to have been able to bring this state-ofthe-art PET CT scanner to the region to provide the best treatment possible for our patients close to their homes