Positron emission tomography-computed tomography  (PET/CT) system at HCM City Oncology Hospital. The treatment is less invasive and more accurate in identifying cancerous tumours and their stages. Photo courtesy of the hospital

HCM CITY— HCM City Oncology Hospital is using a positron emission tomography-computed tomography  (PET/CT) system to help diagnose and treat cancer more accurately and less invasively. 

With the hospital’s system, patients in the southern region no longer have to go to hospitals in the northern region or other countries for the treatment.

Few public hospitals in the country have the system, which reduces radiation doses and the number of scanning sessions a patient must undergo. The time for scanning sessions also is shortened, and as a result, the number of patients using the method will increase.

The system’s maximum capacity for scanning is 30 sessions each day.

The system has advanced features such as precise identification of cancers, early evaluation and effectiveness of therapies’ responses, monitoring and discovering of relapses of cancer tumours, and plans for radiation therapy.

The system is used for treatment of heart and nervous systems.

The cost for one scanning session at the hospital is expected to be VNĐ25.3 million (US$1,087) not including health insurance coverage and VNĐ25.8 million for planning radiation therapy. — VNS