KOLKATA: Getting a PET scan done can be tough for patients with Parkinson’s since they often move during the test. But that’s no longer a problem at Ruby General Hospital. On Thursday, Ruby General Hospital inaugurated the first digital PET CT in Kolkata. Now, the scan time will shrink from 30 minutes to just 5, while patients are exposed to only one-third of the usual radiation dose and the images come out sharper than ever. What makes it even more special is its motion management feature, which is a huge relief for patients with Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative conditions, as it helps control movement during brain scans.
Dr Kamal K Dutta, Chairman and Managing Director, Ruby General Hospital, said the biggest advantage of digital PET CT is that it can detect the smallest tumours which are missed by analog PET CT. Tumours around 2.9 mm will be picked up while the best analog PET CT can pick up tumour sized above 4.3 mm. This will save many lives through early detection and lessen the suffering of patients. Apart from faster scanning time, the Digital PET CT will increase patient comfort and provide more precise and reliable data.
Dutta also mentioned the importance of preventive oncology and how simple cancer screening investigations like Pap Smear, Mammogram, Low Dose CT scan of chest (LDCT), Colonoscopy and Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) can help in the early detection of cancer.
Ruby General Hospital, which has completed 30 years in healthcare, earlier introduced the Varian TrueBeam Linear Accelerator, Version 3.0 with the most user-friendly and advanced contouring system and Eclipse version 18 planning system. This was again a first-of-its kind in eastern India.