PETALING JAYA, March 24 – Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara (THKD) recently unveiled a new nuclear medicine imaging system for precise cancer detection, making it the first medical facility in the Asia Pacific region to offer this technology.
The Mediso AnyScan SPECT/CT/PET imaging system from Hungary is expected to improve the precision and effectiveness of cancer treatment by providing clinicians with highly detailed and accurate information to help guide patient care.
The system combines SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography), CT (computed tomography), and PET (positron emission tomography) technologies into a single device, which allows doctors to gain a more complete understanding of the patient’s condition.
This includes identifying the location, size, and metabolic activity of cancerous tissues, that can help doctors choose treatment strategies that are tailored to the patient’s specific needs.
“Each patient is special. There is no one-size-fits-all,” said Dr Tan Chih Kiang, consultant clinical oncologist and head of clinical oncology, at the launch of THKD’s comprehensive care facility, Oncology and Nuclear Medicine @ Thomson Hospital, last Saturday.
The tri-modality imaging system is part of the hospital’s new comprehensive oncology facility.
Dr Zool Hilmi Awang, who heads the nuclear medicine department, said the facility not only offers tools that can accurately identify problematic areas in the body and diagnose diseased cells, but also offers safe radioactive tracer injections that can help detect different kinds of cancer cells, like neuroendocrine tumours, prostate cancer, and thyroid cancer.
Using these advanced tools, physicians can more effectively target and treat visible areas of cancer cells, Dr Zool Himi said.
Oncology and Nuclear Medicine @ Thomson Hospital offers a range of cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiosurgery, radiotherapy, nuclear medicine diagnostics, and theranostics services all under one roof. Theranostics is the combination of using one radioactive drug to diagnose and another to treat tumours.
The facility was officiated by Sungai Buloh MP Ramanan Ramakrishnan and THKD chief executive officer Wan Nadiah Wan Mohd Abdullah Yaakob.
Nadiah said the new facility aims to provide comprehensive cancer treatment in a single location, offering a range of modalities and a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure patients receive the best possible care and experience from start to finish.
“Additionally, our hospital is committed to ensuring that we have the highest standards of quality and safety. In fact, the Oncology and Nuclear Medicine facility will be undergoing accreditation by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards later this month so that we can benchmark ourselves internationally,” Nadiah said.
The facility has performed over 1,200 diagnostic and therapeutic procedures with oncology patients in areas such as cervix, breast, lung, rectum, head, neck, and brain.
Among these, the radiotherapy team has treated breast cancer patients using the Deep Inspiration Breath Hold technique, and brain cancer with radiotherapy and craniospinal irradiation.
The facility has also been receiving patients from across Malaysia and Southeast Asia region, indicating a need for such services amongst patients from neighbouring countries.
In conjunction with the launch of Oncology & Nuclear Medicine @ Thomson Hospital, THKD will be offering a number of health promotions for a limited period, which include:
- F-18 FDG PETCT scan at a promotional price of RM1,980 per scan.
- Ga-68 PSMA or Ga-58 DOTATE at RM2,600 per scan.
- A 20 per cent discount on cancer screening for patients’ family members.
- Free second opinion consultation with a consultant clinical oncologist.
- Fifteen per cent discount on Feminine Health screening package.
THKD is constantly innovating to provide the latest diagnostic and therapeutic services for their patients.
Nuclear medicine therapies such as Yttrium-90, Lutetium-177, Ac-225, and high dose 1-131 therapy are in the pipeline, while radiotherapy and radiosurgery services will be further subspecialised into gynaecology, haematology, and paediatric treatments.
THKD intends to work with other health care institutions in Malaysia and other countries to help more people have access to these cancer treatments.
