Newspaper Page Text
10A
JUNE 10, 1999
Scanner technology effecting in
finding cancers, researchers say
By Mathew Ford Alap
SCIENCE Writer
- LOS ANGELES
A medical scanner once rarely
used because of its high cost and
diffieulty can detect cancerous tu
mors missed by other imaging de
vices, researchers say.
Studies show that positron emis
sion tomography, or PET scans,
can lead to fewer surgeries and
biopsies for cancer patients. The
technology also could help doctors
more accurately diagnose heart
disease and brain disorders.
The findings were presented
quday at the Society of Nuclear
Medicine conference, where about
40 percent of the studies were re
lated to PET.
“The message is that PET has
arrived,” said Edward Coleman,
prdfessor of radiology at Duke
University. “PET is now having a
major impact in the way we are
taking care of patients.”
Kids University, sponsored by the Augusta State University Continuing Education
department, will be located at Westminster School for summer sessions. Half-day
and full day fun, hands-on enrichment programs for grades 1-6 will be held for three
sessions: June 21-July 2, July 12-23 and July 26-August 6 will be $125 for half-day
and $235 for full-day. Enrichment courses for grades 7-9 will be offered daily
from 12:30 - 2 p.m. for $75 per course. ,
For more information, call the ASU Continuing Education Dept. At (706) 737-1636.
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Fax your news to the Augusta Focus at (706) 724-6969.
Traditional techniques, such as
computed tomography scanning,
or CT, measureinternal body forms
— whether a tumor is present, for
example. CT scanners use comput
ers to combine X-rays of the body.
But patients who undergo PET
scans are injected with sugar that
islabeled with signal-emittingtrac
ers. The scanner records the radio
active tracers as they travel
through the body and collect in
various organs. A computer then
reassembles the images, which
show organ function _ and failure.
“Tumors really like sugar, or
glucose, better than the surround
ing tissue,” said Alan Waxman,
director of nuclear medicine and
co-director of imaging at Cedars-
Sinai Medical Center. “You can
actually see the concentrationin a
tumor at a far greater level than
the surrounding tissue.”
Studies show the course of treat
ment — including a reduction in
surgeries and biopsies — is often
AUGUSTA FOCUS
Living
changed for cancer patients aftera
PET scan.
Ongoing research at the Univer
sity of California, Los Angeles has
found that major surgery was
avoided in about 25 percent of the
dozen patients studied so far. It
shows that PET scanning can be
cost-effective, Coleman said.
Incases of malignant lymphoma,
or cancer of the lymph nodes, PET
scanning was 96 percent accurate
ih detecting tumors compared with
64 percent with CT scans, said Inga
Buchmann, researcher at Univer
sity Hospital in Ulm, Germany.
Both CT and PET scans have
been around since the 19705. PET
scans were often expensive and
difficult because the radioactive
injections could be created only
with an expensive compound and
were effective only for a few hours.
In 1997, only about 50 centers in
the United States offered the pro
cedure, mostly university research
hospitals. This year, the number
has increased to about 300 nation
wide, Coleman said.
Medicare started paying for the
treatment for patients who suffer
from some forms of lung cancer in
January. Coveragewillbeexpanded
next month to cover patients with
colon-rectal cancer,lymphomaand
melanoma.
PET equipment remains a siz
able investment for any hospital,
costing as much as $l.B million. A
San Diego company has created a
mobile version of the machine and
contracts with several Southern
California hospitals forits services.
“The hospitals use it once or
twice a week, and our company
maintains the upgrades,”said Paul
Crowe, chief executive officer of
Mobile PET. “What we do here is
fulfill the business needs as well as
themedical staffs’needs and create
a win-win for everybody.”
The average cost per patient is
about $1,300, he said.
IF YOU PAY YOUR CHILD SUPPORT,
THIS HUG’S FOR YOU!
' MAXIMUS
Child Support Services
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Emergency room staff
commended for service
By Adrienne Turner
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Itis usually the most frighten
ing time in a person’s life when
they are rushed into a hospital
emergency room. It was no dif
ferent for Charlotte Faye
Drawdy.
When she arrived at Univer
sity Hospital’s emergency room
on June 8, she was certain that
she was having a heart attack
because of the “excruciating”
pains she was experiencing in
her chest.
Fortunately, that was not the
case and today she feels like
shouting from the roof top.
However, Ms. Drawdy is not
shouting over the fact that she is
well, as much as how well she
Employees, it’s not just the bosses
who can advertise here. If you are
looking for odd jobs and/or odd
hours of summer work, advertise
your job information here in the
Augusta Focus! Call (706) 724-7867
to set up your ads!
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was treated. According to Ms.
Drawdy, the staff at University
Hospital’s emergency room
made her feel like she was a
priority.
“Ijust want to say thank you,”
Ms. Drawdy said.
When she arrived, the lobby
was filled with people, she said.
After explaining her symptoms
to a customer service person,
shesaid theyimmediately rushed
her to the back, had someone
move her car and put warm
towels on her feet.
“Everyone was so nice to me,
from the doctor to the insurance
processor,” Ms. Drawdy said.
“They were even sensitive to
my fears.”
Hats off to University for pro
viding excellent service to the
community.
2525 Washington Road, Suite P
Augusta, Georgia 30904
706.733.0791
Under contract with the State of Georgia,
Department of Human Resources
Division of Family and Children Services .