Capacity for cancer-diagnosing tool to triple in Calgary

Number of PET/CT scans to increase to 5,460 exams annually

Story and photo by AHS Staff

After three bouts of thyroid cancer since 1993, Ron Visser has seen the gamut of technology available to detect the disease.

His first diagnosis was made using a needle biopsy, where a small piece of the suspected tumour is removed and tested for cancer. The second was spotted using CT scans, by which time tumours had grown to the size of golf balls.

The third, just last year, was seen using high-quality positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans and detected tiny areas of possible cancer. As a result of that scan, the Calgary man had 21 lymph nodes removed – six of which were in the early stages of cancer.

The PET/CT scan also showed a potential “hot spot” under his collarbone where there had been no cancerous activity before. Because it was spotted early, a thoracic (chest) surgeon was brought into the surgery to remove it.

“Without PET/CT, these cancerous lymph nodes would have grown to something much larger,” says Visser. “Having this technology really does improve the definition of scans. The clarity is amazing. It’s comforting to know that potential problems are spotted and dealt with early.”

Thousands more cancer patients like Rob Visser are set to have the assurance of the PET/CT technology. The number of scans performed in Calgary is set to triple, improving access to the powerful diagnostic tool.

Annual PET/CT scan capacity will increase to 5,460 exams, from 1,790, by the middle of next year. This will mean shorter wait times for southern Albertans with, or suspected of having, certain cancers, including lung cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma, lymphoma and cancers of the head and neck.

By spring 2012, both Edmonton and Calgary will have two PET/CT machines. This change in Calgary is an effort to balance access for all Albertans between the two cities.

“This capacity boost means improved cancer treatment decisions and individualized care pathways for more patients,” says Dr. Chris Molnar, Head of Nuclear Medicine in Calgary for Alberta Health Services (AHS). “We know that each cancer is different. The more we know about an individual’s situation and the earlier we have that information, the better the treatment options and outcomes.”

Reducing wait times for cancer care is among the goals outlined in the 5-Year Health Action Plan, jointly developed by the Government of Alberta and AHS, and supported by the province’s stable, 5-year funding.

PET/CT combines two complementary technologies to create a state-of-the-art, full-body imaging machine that allows physicians to accurately diagnose and manage a range of conditions, including neurological and cardiovascular disease, but primarily cancer.

The CT scan pinpoints the size, shape and location of abnormalities in the body. The PET scan may show additional cancer sites not readily visible on CT, or may show an abnormality is benign rather than malignant.

The results of PET/CT change the course of treatment in as many as one-third of cancer cases and can help avoid unnecessary surgery, radiation treatment and chemotherapy. After treatment, PET/CT can detect scarring and residual cancer that may require additional treatment.

“As a result of this increase, patients will access high-quality diagnostic care faster,” says Carla McAuley-Gilmore, Executive Director of Diagnostic Imaging for the Calgary Zone of AHS.

“This reinforces AHS’s commitment to providing the best possible health care to all Albertans.”

Additional capacity will be brought on stream in two phases.

In Phase 1, an extra day and five evening shifts a week of PET/CT scans has been added at Foothills Medical Centre, which will increase capacity from 1,790 exams annually to 3,450.

In Phase 2, a second PET/CT scanner will be installed by spring 2012. It will initially be able to perform 2,100 scans annually, bringing the total number of annual scans to 5,460.