greenslopesprivate.com.au | 3
New PET/CT
scanner a win
for patients
Doctors will have even greater ability to detect and
monitor a range of conditions at Greenslopes Private
Hospital, thanks to the arrival of a state-of-the-art PET/CT
system with revolutionary FlowMotion technology.
The Siemens Biograph mCT Flow 64 is the first of its
kind to be installed at a private hospital in South East
Queensland.
The technology is based on a single continuous motion,
rather than stop-and-go technology, which reduces the
imaging time for patients.
Queensland X-Ray PET/CT Coordinator John Barlow said
it is used for the staging and restaging of most cancers
including lung, colorectal, prostate and breast cancer.
Some PET tracers can also detect osteoblastic processes
and the presence of amyloid plaques in the brain, which
are indicators of Alzheimer’s disease.
“The most common PET study involves an injection of
a radioactive glucose which is metabolised by tumour
cells. The PET/CT scanner is used to measure how much
of the tracer is metabolised and therefore how active the
tumour is.”
Mr Barlow said comparing pre and post treatment
imaging means medical staff can measure how effective
that treatment has been.
The PET/CT scanner and associated equipment are
housed in a new Queensland X-Ray facility, located
on the Lower Ground level of the Administration Building
at Greenslopes Private Hospital.
The site is also fitted with a comprehensive real-time
radiation monitoring system. This allows staff to track
radiation levels using highly sensitive detectors and
unique computer software.
Later this year, Queensland X-Ray will move one of its
Nuclear Medicine departments into the same footprint.
This means patients will be able to access dozens of
bulk-billed tests including bone scans, cerebral perfusion,
hepatobiliary scans, gastrointestinal studies, myocardial
perfusions scans and thyroid scans at Greenslopes
Private Hospital.