New boost for cancer services

10/10/06
New cutting-edge cancer detecting technology at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital will enable doctors to almost double the number of people screened for the deadly disease, and significantly reduce waiting times for patients.
Health Minister Jim McGinty said a new $2.5million Positron Emission Tomography/Computer Tomography (PET/CT) Scanner which began operation today would enable faster and more accurate diagnosis of cancer and other chronic diseases.
Mr McGinty said the new scanner would slash waiting times for patients undergoing PET scans - predominantly cancer, cardiology and neurological patients.
"The new machine will take as little as 20 minutes to screen a patient, compared with 30 to 85 minutes with the old equipment, so the hospital will be able to diagnose dozens of extra patients every week," the Minister said.
The PET service was expected to increase the number of patients scanned from 10-12 per day to as many as 20 per day, or about 2,000 additional patients a year.
There were currently 376 patients waiting for a scan, with an average waiting time of two weeks for urgent patients and 10 weeks for non-urgent patients.
It was expected that by the Christmas, urgent patients would be scanned within three days while non-urgent patients would only have to wait for three to four weeks for a scan.
"Up to 95 per cent of the patients undergoing PET scans are suffering from some form of cancer, so the sooner doctors can detect and treat it, the better," Mr McGinty said.
The Minister said the new technology would provide better quality images, was more precise and would enable improved diagnosis.
"The new PET/CT scanner will accurately provide three dimensional images of a patient's body and reveal any irregularities," he said.
"The scanner can detect a cancerous tumour in its earliest form and pinpoint its exact location inside human tissue.
"It will help doctors to detect cancer and determine the best possible treatment earlier as well as helping patients avoid other unnecessary procedures."
Mr McGinty said $500,000 had also been spent on building works at the PET service to improve safety, efficiency and patient flow.
"The whole PET unit has undergone a refurbishment and there are now more preparation rooms to accommodate the extra patients," he said.
The addition of the new PET/CT scanner was another boost for cancer services in Western Australia.
In July, stage one of WA's first dedicated State Cancer Centre opened at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
The $12.3million cancer centre housed the latest radiotherapy machines which have the capacity to target tumours more accurately, and give patients a much better chance of recovery.
The new centre had already seen waiting times for patients fall to a five-year low.
"The hospital is on target to completely eradicate the cancer radiotherapy waitlist by the end of the year," the Minister said.
Mr McGinty said planning was under way for stage two of the new State Cancer Centre as part of the $536million redevelopment of the Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre site.
A second cancer centre would be developed at the new Fiona Stanley Hospital in Murdoch, which was due to open in 2011.
The Minister said he had also urged the Federal Government to grant additional licenses for PET machines in WA in order to expand the service.
The Commonwealth had also been asked to review the guidelines for what types of cancer scans are eligible for a Medicare rebate.
"The Commonwealth currently lists only 13 different cancer indications for PET scans which are covered by Medicare," Mr McGinty said.
"Medicare rebates are not available on scans for leukaemia or pancreatic, testicular, thyroid and liver cancer.
"In recent years more data has emerged resulting in PET scans being used for many more cancer indications, and we believe the Commonwealth's guidelines need urgent review."
Minister's office - 9422 3000