Paul Strickland Scanner Centre's scanning service celebrates 25th anniversary
Siemens Healthcare UK (published 01/07/2010)
The Paul Strickland Scanner Centre is celebrating its 25th anniversary of providing world class scanning service for the diagnosis of cancer and other serious diseases.
The pioneering Centre is independent medical charity is one of the first in the UK to offer Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning, it provides high quality imaging services to assist clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment planning of patients. PETNET Solutions, a division of Siemens, is marking a ten year partnership with the centre as its supplier of biomarkers for use in diagnostic scans.
In addition to CT and MRI imaging, two PET-CT systems situated at the Paul Strickland Scanner Centre are used to detect and localise cancers in the whole body. This includes distinguishing between benign and malignant growths, staging tumours, assessing metastases and assisting with treatment management. Information provided by PET offers a greater depth of information to achieve this.
Under its partnership with PETNET Solutions, MetaTrace fludeoxyglucose (FDG) is delivered from the centre’s dedicated Eclipse HP Cyclotron unit to the PET-CT systems each morning in preparation for imaging. PETNET Solutions manufactures and QC tests each product batch to ensure it meets the correct specification before use and the Cyclotron’s onsite presence means that the FDG is readily available. Furthermore, it was the first commercially licensed PET Cyclotron facility in the UK.
“Celebrating our 25th anniversary is a great achievement as we continue to deliver Dr. Strickland’s vision to enable early diagnosis via innovations in imaging technology,” said Margaret Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Paul Strickland Scanner Centre. “Our partnership with PETNET Solutions has played a large part in this, helping us to get where we are today as an internationally recognised centre of excellence. It has proved to be a productive collaboration and we are thrilled to be celebrating ten years of this partnership.”
“Paul Strickland Scanner Centre is renowned for its cancer imaging facilities and it was a great honour for PETNET Solutions to work in partnership with the centre to build the first commercial FDG production facility in the UK ten years ago,” said Chris Rodman, Facility Manager at PETNET Solutions. “We provide the site with a reliable but flexible service, aiming to be as accommodating as we can when extra patients and referrals require more supplies than anticipated. We are delighted to be celebrating this milestone with the centre and look forward to enjoying a strong relationship in the future.”
Respected scientist Professor Heinz Wolff was the 25th anniversary event’s guest of honour and tours of the centre were held for the charity’s major benefactors. A tour of the PETNET building was also available to visitors to demonstrate the importance of FDG supplies in maintaining a strong service at Paul Strickland Scanner Centre.
