Media Release: STATE FUNDS WORLD’S BEST CANCER SCANNER FOR AUSTIN

FROM THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH

DATE: Wednesday, April 14, 2004

STATE FUNDS WORLD’S BEST CANCER SCANNER FOR AUSTIN

Victorians now have access to more accurate, less invasive cancer treatment after the Bracks Government purchased the most advanced tumor-detecting medical imaging tool in the southern hemisphere for the Austin Hospital.

Launching the $4 million Positron Emission Tomography (PET) camera-Crystal Technology (CT) scanner, Ms Pike said patients deserved better access to the best available technique to pinpoint tumors.

This PET CT unit is the fifth in the world and the only one in Australia that uses new crystal technology, called GSO (Gadolinium Orthosilicate).

“This scanner is also the first with an open – as opposed to tunnel-like – structure,” Ms Pike said.

“In simple terms, these improvements mean less invasive procedures and more comfort for the patients. Combined with better accuracy, it will lead to a higher level of cancer treatment.”

The new model will also have a broader range of applications – meaning it can be used for more types of diagnoses and also research.

Ms Pike said the Government was committed to ensuring patients had access to the latest technology, and were backing this up with major funding to rebuild the public hospital system.

“This is a major component of our record $100 million-plus public hospital equipment upgrade program - the largest in Victoria’s history,” Ms Pike said.

“Hospitals are also sharing $17 million in medical equipment grants for big-ticket items.”

The Austin was one of the biggest beneficiaries of this latest round of grants, receiving more than $1.1 million in new equipment, including a digital fluoroscopy and general radiology suite, new defibrillators and anaesthetic monitoring equipment.

Austin Health’s Department of Nuclear Medicine and Centre for PET has Australia’s most extensive clinical and research PET facility.

Only the world’s fifth such facility, it performs 1300 scans a year and is internationally recognised for its contribution to scientific and clinically based research.

Ms Pike said the combined PET-CT new generation scanner was the latest technology available to identify and stage most cancers and precisely pinpoint tumors. CT scans slice through the PET scan, providing a cross section of the image to pinpoint the tumor.

“Older technology could miss tumors due to the earlier machines’ broader vision. Specialists then had to design treatment plans from pictures,” Ms Pike said.

“By comparing non-invasive PET and CT scans, this equipment lets specialists precisely target active cancers. It improves accuracy and effectiveness of radiotherapy and limits skin reactions.”

Ms Pike said patients with Alzheimers disease, epilepsy and other neurological disorders would also benefit from faster and more accurate scans.

“The scanner will enable the Austin Hospital to seize upon advances in medical technology and allow them to be more efficient and cater for grater patient demand,” Ms Pike said.