Prostate cancer survivor Stephen Hunter is one of the first patients to go through a new, full-body “super scanner” in Melbourne.
The technology will give the 69-year-old the best chance of detecting any tiny suspected tumours lurking in his body.
The Siemens Quadra PET and CT scan machine at the Melbourne Theranostic Innovation Centre is the only one operating in an Australian private facility, and it works fast.
“It is going to be a game changer and I’m privileged to be one of the first on the instrument today,” Hunter said.
The $13 million scanners will allow clinicians to see any minuscule abnormality from head to toe almost instantly.
Precision Molecular Imaging and Theranostics research and development Professor Rod Hicks said the scanner would dramatically improve the lives of those with severe illnesses.
Read Related Also: ‘Sesame Street’ Co-Creator & Co-Founder Lloyd N. Morrisett Passes Away at 93
“We can potentially do a scan in a child in 30 seconds to 60 seconds,” he said.
“Through the heart, through the lungs into the brain and all the major organs simultaneously, which is something we have never been able to do before.
“It is not an evolutionary technology, it’s a revolutionary technology.”
The machine has been in operation for just 48 hours and a dozen patients have so far gone through.
It is hoped the service will help reduce PET and CT scan wait times.
