The Royal Free Charity
Revolutionising cancer screening at the Royal Free Hospital
When cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, treatment options and chances of a full recovery are greater. So, timely testing is critical. We’re partnering with the Royal Free Hospital in London to buy equipment that will help more patients begin treatment sooner. Our grant of over £140,000 will help fund a state-of-the-art Siemens Quadra PET-CT scanner – the first in the UK.
With this equipment, more than double the number of patients can undergo PET-CT scans – increasing from the current 5,000 to 12,200 people a year. The images produced by the new scanner will be 35 times more sensitive than typical NHS scanners. These more precise images with greater definition make it easier for clinicians to detect masses and small lesions. As a result, doctors will be able to treat patients more effectively and improve their outcomes.
- The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is the largest provider of cancer services in the capital.
- The Royal Free Hospital’s Siemens Quadra PET-CT scanner is the first ever in the UK. There are currently only 11 in the world.
- The scanner will help the hospital cope with increasing demand – 12,200 patients would be able to have a scan each year rather than 5,000 currently.
Accelerating research into cancer treatments
The new scanner can also help develop vital new cancer treatments. As it employs a lower radiation dose than standard scanners, healthy volunteers will be able to enrol in research using PET scanning. The Siemens Quadra PET-CT scanner has the potential to transform the health and wellbeing of Royal Free patients and others in the UK and around the world.
“The Siemens Quadra PET-CT will change the game. It will allow us to do higher quality imaging at a lower radiation dose for a higher throughput of patients, whilst creating ground-breaking possibilities for research. I can’t emphasise enough: it’s amazing.”
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