GE HealthCare and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre have announced a partnership under which the Melbourne-based facility will evaluate a new positron emission tomography and computed tomography technology (PET/CT).
The emerging technology aims to improve cancer diagnosis, staging, therapeutic planning, and treatment response.
The rising prevalence of cancer is increasing demand for whole-body PET/CT imaging. As cancer rates are increasing, so is the availability of new immunotherapies and treatments, encouraging the practice of more personalised forms of medicine. Theranostics uses PET, CT, and targeted diagnostics and therapies to identify and treat disease.
GE HealthCare said it has designed its total body PET/CT technology to support research and further advance the capabilities of traditional PET by promoting the addition of new diagnostic and therapeutic agents.
“With global cancer cases expected to increase by 77 per cent by 2050, we must invest in research and technology that enables us to gain greater perspective on and management of the disease,” said Professor Michael Hofman, nuclear medicine physician and head of the PET/CT program at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
“That’s why we are excited to work with GE HealthCare’s new PET/CT technology, which is designed to help support our ongoing investigation and development of new radiotracers for cancer imaging and a better understanding of tumour biology. Our current PET/CT devices image the body in five to six steps, which are then stitched together to create our scans. This next generation technology is being designed with the goal to image from head to thighs in a single step, which may create new opportunities for research. Combined with deep learning-based capabilities, this technology has the potential to be a major advancement for patients that will support prevention, early detection, and better scanning of advanced cancers.”
“Innovation requires close collaboration, and we are thrilled to do that with Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre on our total body PET/CT technology,” said Jean-Luc Procaccini, President and CEO, Molecular Imaging and Computed Tomography, GE HealthCare. “Already, the institution’s research has revolutionised cancer imaging and pioneered theranostics. Now, we aim to usher in a new era of scientific discovery and research together with a total body PET/CT technology for the future, unlocking its potential to help clinicians further improve patient outcomes.”
“We are excited to collaborate with GE HealthCare and kick off this unprecedented opportunity for cancer research in Australia and around the world,” added Professor Hofman. “Together - and with the support of Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) and National Imaging Facility - we’re embarking on a new frontier of PET/CT imaging – one that’s full of exciting, new possibilities.”