Advancement of Technology Continues at BWH: Introducing PET/CT- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
Advancement of Technology Continues at BWH: Introducing PET/CT- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
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July 18, 2003
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In This Issue:
Viva Diversity at the 2003 Street Beat!
Advancement of Technology Continues at BWH: Introducing PET/CT
AHCA Recognizes Member of the Partners Family
Countdown to JCAHO
Time to Start Knitting!
BWH Nursing Announces New Tagline
A Helpful Refresher on HIPAA Dos and Don’ts
The arrival and installation of the hospital’s first PET/CT scanner this past weekend brings the promise of state-of-the-art imaging capabilities to better serve patients at BWH. The cutting edge scanner is the latest enhancement to the diagnostic capabilities in the areas of Oncology, Neurology/Neurosurgery and Cardiology, through the Division of Nuclear Medicine. This imaging device provides three-dimensional images both functionally (PET) and structurally (CT), enabling earlier diagnosis and more precise localization of abnormalities in healthy and diseased organs as well as systems in the human body. According to S. Ted Treves, MD, chief of the Division of Nuclear Medicine at BWH, the PET application will allow for:
Earlier detection of cancer, determining the extent of the disease and aiding in radiation oncology and surgical planning for therapy. PET is also useful in assessing treatment and determining the effects of a given therapy;
The ability to ascertain regional brain function, which is beneficial in assessing seizure disorders including epilepsy, degenerative diseases of the brain like Alzheimer’s disease, dementias, Parkinson’s disease, cerebrovascular disorders and other neurological disorders. Likewise, PET will help localize brain tumors for surgery or radiation therapy planning; and
The determination of regional myocardial blood flow as well as regional metabolism and viability. PET will assist in the diagnosis of cardiac disorders and also in the planning and follow-up of therapies.
According to the Department of Radiology Chairman Steven Seltzer, MD, the project to obtain a PET/CT scanner at BWH began in January 2001 under the guidance of Treves and his colleagues Drs. Victor Gerbaudo, Marcelo DiCarli and Scott Britz-Cunningham. The hospital expects to begin offering PET services later this summer, seeing the first patients in mid- to late-August. The new scanner is located on L-1. For more information, please contact the Division of Nuclear Medicine at ext. 2-6215 or Gerbaudo via email.