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M U B A DA L A H E A LT H C A R E

MUBADALA HEALTHCARE BRINGS WORLD-CLASS STANDARDS IN PET/CT TO THE TAWAM HOSPITAL

Article provided by Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre

ith cancer the third leading cause of death in the UAE after cardiovascular disease and trauma, Imaging and Diagnostics Magazine spoke to the medical spokespersons of the Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre to find out what new PET/ CT services are available to help clinicians establish faster and more accurate methods of diagnosing cancer. Located in Al Ain adjacent to the Tawam Hospital, the leading oncology centre in the region, is the Tawam Molecular Imaging Center, opening early this year. Owned by Mubadala, the centre is one of the key initiatives within Mubadala Healthcares plan to establish world-class medical facilities in the UAE and stimulate the overall development of the regions private healthcare sector. Clinically operated by Johns Hopkins Medicine International and backed by Siemens latest technology in PET/CT imaging diagnostics, the centres vision is to set the highest possible worldclass benchmark standard for diagnostic imaging in the region. The PET/CT diagnostic system is a procedure that allows physicians to view both metabolic activity and pinpoint where abnormal lesions are located, all in the same image. The speed and accuracy at which these images can be produced makes it an invaluable tool in the detection and management of cancer. PET/CT scanning is now considered one of the most powerful tools available to diagnose cancer. The images from the two scanners are combined to detail the tumor location, size and shape invaluable for physicians when diagnosing and staging the disease, planning treatment and monitoring treatment progress. The level of detail that PET/CT imaging provides doctors allows oncologists to reduce the amount of healthy tissue, which is treated. Considered by world standards as revolutionary, this diagnostic imaging system is aimed at achieving earlier detection of disease. Dr Richard L. Wahl, M.D. Professor and Director of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Professor at, Johns Hopkins Medicine and clinical advisor to the Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre explained, PET/CT is increasingly the preferred diagnostic tool for nearly all types of cancer, suspected heart disease and for the assessment of memory loss. We are implementing state of the art software at

Images provided by Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre

the TMIC for these applications. Specifically, the facility will feature the Biograph mCT, the worlds first Molecular CT, which integrates PET and CT technologies with High-Definition PET, allowing shorter examinations and faster results. The technology available at the centre presents CT configurations up to 64 slices. It provides entire body CT scans in just 10 seconds and delivers routine whole-body PET.CT scans in five minutes. The benefits are earlier diagnosis and treatment for patients and given the centres proximity to Tawam Hospital will also serve as a sophisticated diagnostic tool for oncology management for patients undergoing cancer treatment. The scanner selected in the mCT represents the latest generation of combined PET/CT technology. Superb image quality and speed will facilitate rapid and accurate diagnosis, confirmed Dr Wahl. Dr Thomas F Heston, Medical Director of the TMIC, says that patients undergoing medical tests at the centre can be

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reassured that they are receiving stateof-the-art medical care, which can help alleviate anxiety they may have about their test or their medical condition. We insist that our patients receive the best that technology can offer, in a manner that is gentle and compassionate. At the Tawam Molecular Imaging Centre, not only is the medical equipment selected with great care, the interior environment and entire facility is specifically designed to make patients feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible, Dr Heston said. The centre offers patients the privacy of their own room with a total of seven patient rooms, including two VIP Royal suites, with a capacity to deliver 16 PET examinations per day. With its close proximity to the Tawam Hospital, Dr. Heston anticipates the initial demand to focus on cancer imaging and related clinical applications. The technology at TMIC, however, also includes the ability to perform important cardiac and brain imaging. People with known or suspected heart disease will especially benefit from TMICs unique ability to perform cardiac PET/CT perfusion imaging, which has been shown to be a safer and more accurate alternative to older technology, stated Dr Heston. PET/CT helps detect disease at its earliest stages, when there remains a good chance for a cure. For people with known disease, PET/CT can help guide therapy, so they receive the very best medical care and remain as healthy as ID possible, he concluded.
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