15 Nov Unrivaled PET/CT Technology in Ponce to Detect Lung Cancer More Efficiently
About 14% of all new cancers are lung cancers, according to the American Cancer Society, and it constitutes a leading cause of cancer deaths among both men and women in Puerto Rico and the US. However, the process to diagnose, treat and recover from lung cancer continues to evolve positively and at San Cristóbal Cancer Institute we are proud to effectively leverage technology as a powerful tool for better patient outcomes.
Our state-of-the-art PET/CT system, Biograph Horizon, has capabilities that are extremely valuable for lung cancer indications – its most common use, at 29 percent of the total exam mix. For the last several months, physicians in Ponce and all of Puerto Rico have found that our Biograph Horizon PET/CT system is highly effective in assisting with lung cancer screening in high-risk populations and allows us to visualize small lesions early. The system has an unusually higher light output, resulting in higher resolution and better image quality, and enabling Time-of-Flight acquisition (expanding its usefulness in the initial staging of disease and in response assessment).
To help visualize small lesions, our imaging tools feature a combination of technologies that enhance image quality and productivity.
Meanwhile, as more than half of lung cancer patients are diagnosed at a late stage and have an increased likelihood of distant metastasis, more detailed patient data can help clinicians more accurately stage disease and evaluate therapy response, contributing to more effective care pathways. The recent decision of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to recommend annual lung cancer screening with low-dose CT for high-risk adults has the potential to generate more suspicious findings, for which biopsies are often performed to confirm malignancy. Moreover, high-contrast, high-resolution PET/CT with Time-of-Flight further helps our skilled team of clinicians to identify additional diagnostic procedures, such as biopsies, that are very appropriate for each lung cancer patient, supporting improved patient outcomes, lower procedure costs, and reduced liability risks. The holistic care found at San Cristobal Cancer Institute not only extends to our patients, but also to our growing relationship with our staff and partners in the medical community.
Referring Physicians: There are many ways in which we can work together to fight cancer in Ponce. Contact our attentive staff today to make these strategies a reality. You can also join our innovative Online Patient Referral Program to join our powerful health network.