It is now possible to pinpoint cancer cells, mark and isolate them, so that they alone can be destroyed without killing any neighbouring healthy cells.
About 75 cancer hospitals across India are already equipped with this technology called positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging.
This was one of the innovations in healthcare being featured at the GE's Carnival of Innovation, an annual event showcasing the latest technologies on offer in the fields of energy, healthcare, aviation, mining and so on, at Whitefield on Saturday.
So how does the PET/CT work? The patient is injected with biomarkers, an ink of sorts, which is absorbed by the body as glucose. Under the PET/CT scan, which combines biological and physiological information, the cancer cells present in the patient will glow, and the imaging system will pick and mark them exactly as it is, leaving out the healthy cells around it. This way the treatment, be it radiation or chemotherapy, can be precisely directed at the diseased cells.
This is much more expensive than the other available technologies in this field, but is at least five years ahead in diagnosis, staging, and treatment of cancer, Manoj Menon, the spokesperson for Wipro GE Healthcare, said.
An example of how information technology is helping healthcare is the Electronic Medical Record System (EMRS). "It puts together your entire medical data, from blood pressure details to X-Rays, scan reports, fractures, and drugs you are allergic to. That gives your doctor your medical history at one go," said Shyam Rajan, chief technology officer of GE healthcare India.
All the patient's healthcare data is stored in the cloud, and he/she can avoid repeated test-taking. PACS, Picture Archival and Communication System, a part of EMRS, is already being used in a few Indian hospitals.
So, how is PET/CT scan better?
Be it radiation or chemotherapy, PET/CT scan can be precisely directed at the diseased cells.
It is at least five years ahead in diagnosis, staging, and treatment of cancer
Within 24 hours of starting therapy, the PET/CT will show whether the treatment is working or not.
It puts together your entire medical data, that gives your doctor your medical history at one go.
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