To fight cancer early and decisively the Choitram Hospital and Research Centre launched the State’s first GE Discovery IQ here on Tuesday. Notably, it considered as the most powerful yet most intelligent weapon in hospital’s armory.
Interestingly, the Discovery IQ PET/CT System at Choithram Hospital is among the first in Madhya Pradesh. Notably, GE’s Discovery IQ is designed in India for the world and comes with advanced early disease detection capabilities as well as measurements to understand patient’s response to cancer treatment.
“Choithram is the first institution to offer comprehensive cancer care and research in Central India. Madhya Pradesh has 20 cancer hospitals and just one PET/CT for a population of over 73 Million. We are pleased to add the most advanced weapon in the fight against cancer at our hospital to provide early diagnosis and early treatment to the people of Central India” said Dr. Sunil Chandiwal, Director Medical Services, Choitram Hospital and Research Centre.
Notably, Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in India, with 1.23 million new cases added every year. India loses 3 patients every two minutes to cancer. Molecular imaging using PET/CT is a decisive tool for early diagnosis, treatment staging as well as monitoring the progress of treatment.
The value of PET/CT for diagnostic imaging in oncology is well established with its capabilities to combine anatomic and functional aspects of the body to provide a complete picture of patient’s health. But now, even brighter possibilities are coming to light, with new quantitative tools that enable more consistent PET measurements.
PET/CT is a more accurate and reliable solution for clinicians to determine early whether the treatment is working or not, and they will be able to tailor a regimen of therapies according to individual patient response and needs.
“We know that cancer patients don’t always respond to their initial course of chemotherapy treatment. Accurately determining whether or not a patient is responding is critical, as enduring treatment is one of the toughest challenges that both patients and doctors ever face”, said Dr. M.K. Soni, HOD Nuclear Medicine Department, Choithram Hospital.
“When using CT alone, up to 6 cycles of chemotherapy may be required to determine if the treatment is effective for that patient. PET/CT can help quickly determine treatment effectiveness, because metabolic changes in a tumor occur earlier than structural changes, and PET/CT can help us determine how well a treatment is working after as few as 1 to 2 cycles of chemotherapy” he added.
Molecular imaging is the epitome of healthcare imaging technologies and a crucial weapon in the fight against cancer. With GE Discovery IQ, Choitram Hospital has ready access to tools that will allow evidence based care and cost effective treatment.