June 4, 2012
CALGARY – A new positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanner in Calgary will perform thousands of additional scans each year, improving access to a powerful diagnostic tool for patients with cancer and neurological diseases across southern Alberta.
The $2.8-million device, located at Foothills Medical Centre, is Calgary’s second PET/CT scanner and will perform 2,100 additional scans each year, bringing the number of total annual scans to 5,460 by September – a 62.5 per cent increase in capacity. It went into operation last month.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) has committed $2.9 million of annual operational funding for this additional capacity, which will shorten wait times for patients with many types of cancer, as well as patients with epilepsy and dementia.
“We all know someone who has been touched by cancer. This new scanner is an important step towards improving access to cancer care in southern Alberta,” says Fred Horne, Minister of Health. “Physicians and nurses who support cancer patients now have a powerful new tool at their disposal to diagnose cancer and other neurological problems. That will mean better health outcomes and a better quality of life for Albertans.”
Improving access and reducing wait times for diagnostics and cancer care are among the goals outlined in the 5-Year Health Action Plan, jointly developed by the Government of Alberta and AHS, and supported by the province’s stable, 5-year funding.
Dr. Christine Molnar, AHS Division Chief of Nuclear Medicine in Calgary, says PET/CT scans play a key role in guiding the treatment of many cancers.
“PET/CT provides patients and their doctors with important information about disease status and extent that can be crucial in determining the most appropriate therapy, assessing response to treatment, and evaluating if disease has recurred,” she says.
PET/CT combines two full-body scanning technologies: computed tomography (CT), which shows anatomy, and positron emission tomography (PET), which shows cellular function. These technologies complement each other to precisely locate abnormal cellular activity.
The new scanner features updated technology that will reduce scan times to as little as five minutes in some cases and has a more spacious interior for better patient comfort.
“We are now able to scan patients faster than ever before,” says Carla McAuley-Gilmore, Executive Director of Diagnostic Imaging for the Calgary Zone of AHS. “With a second PET/CT scanner in Calgary, we also have the opportunity to broaden the scope of patients we are able to see, including patients with epilepsy and dementia.”
The addition of a second scanner completes a two-part plan to triple PET/CT scanning capacity in Calgary, which also involves additional operating hours for both scanners. About 1,800 PET/CT scans had been performed annually in Calgary before the plan was implemented this past November.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than 3.7 million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
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