Asiri Hospital unveils first PET/CT medical imaging scanner

Adding to its list of ‘firsts’ in the field of medicine and healthcare, Asiri Surgical Hospital unveiled Sri Lanka’s first PET/CT (Positron Emission Tomography - Computed Tomography) medical imaging scanner.

This ultra fast PET/CT scanner is an advanced imaging tool providing the most accurate diagnosis for the treatment and management of cancers, neurological disorders, cardiac applications and fever’s of unknown origins.  

Asiri Hospitals Director/COO Dr. Manjula Karunaratne addressing the gathering at the event

The PET/CT scan is a type of nuclear medicine imaging which has the unique ability to detect the full extent of the disease in the body unlike other scanners.  

The procedure is non-invasive and painless and takes approximately 20 minutes under the scanner. Pre-preparation time, for this one day diagnosis takes a couple of hours and the processing of the results take a couple more days.

“This PET/CT is a revolutionary development in imaging technology which is essential for oncologists. It is the best thing to diagnose and evaluate cancers as it indicates the spread of the disease to other parts of the body and is used to determine therapeutic decisions and the response to therapy. This scanner is also used to determine biopsies and surgeries and radio therapy planning,” said Asiri Surgical Hospital Head of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT specialist Dr. Manoj Gupta.

He explains that this ultra sensitive scanner can determine the full extent of a cancer, and is the most accurate diagnosis to date allowing the physician and the patient to evaluate the most appropriate remedy.  

The patient is injected with radiotracer glucose which travels through the body and is absorbed by the organs and tissues. Then, the scanner detects and records the energy emitted by the tracer which is converted into three-dimensional colour imaging which in turn, allows the physician to get a cross-sectional view of the body from any angle.

“This is another first from Asiri Hospitals as we revolutionise medi-care and healthcare in this country,” said Asiri Hospitals Director/COO Dr. Manjula Karunaratne, adding, “This incredible machine will give doctors and patients the chance to get the best possible evaluation for disease control and therapy.”   

Meanwhile, Dr. Shantha Hettiarachchi, Consultant Radiologist at the Asiri Group of Hospitals said, “PET/CT scanning is the most precise diagnosis available for oncology and has made a dramatic change in the treatment and management of cancers.” She added that whilst this is used for cancer detection, the PET/CT scanner is also widely used in Neurology, Cardiology and Orthopedic practice as well.

While x-rays, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remain vital as diagnostic tools, the PET/CT scan can see what the other tests cannot - the body’s biochemical functioning occurring in an organ or tissue.

Dr. Gupta explained that this is an important stage in detection as disease processes often begin with functional changes at a cellular level identified by the PET/CT scan whereas a CT or MRI detect changes a little later. This, then helps in surgery as the PET/CT scanner differentiates between benign and malignant tumors, and precisely locates the tumors and the extent of the metabolically active tumor, allowing for more targeted surgeries. This PET technology is also used for evaluating neurological disorders such as epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias because it can help doctors see changes in the brain that could be associated with the cognitive or physiological symptoms.

PET scanning is also used for cardiac applications to detect cardiac viability as well as diagnosing fevers of unknown origins.