Hi Amy,
I am sure I speak for all here in thanking you for doing a really vital job and your father will appreciate the support and encouragement you have provided.
I am aware that its not just the quality of the scan that is important but that there are other considerations and I have discussed this will top people in the UK and in Germany. When talking about scans with my consultant at UCLH he said that they did the best scans in Europe. I asked why this was so when other hospitals also had advanced scanners. I was told it had do with better sequencing. The Royal Marsden gave me an MRI using an Endorectal Coil but UCLH said they did not think this improved the scan so when I was transfered to them they repeated the MRI without the Coil. It would be interesting to learn your views on this. Also, when I had a Choline Pet scan at UCLH they said they believed I had cancer in an Iliac Lymph Node. Two other hospitals in the UK and my original RT Treating Hospital in Germany viewed the scan and opined that the size, shape and take up of Choline did not indicate Cancer. In fact a subsequent 68 Gallium PSMA scan showed instead that there was a very small tumour in my Prostate, subsequently confirmed by yet another MRI. So scan assessment can be subjective. Certainly, there have been cases where scans have not shown cancer that has spread because if for no other reason the concentrations are too small to be seen on MRI or indeed on some more recently introduced scans. There is an interesting report which says:- 'Professor Paul Workman, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said:
“Cancer imaging has been transformed in recent years – modern, sophisticated tools such as PET scans can unlock a wealth of information about tumours that could be used to diagnose, monitor and treat patients more effectively.
“This new assessment of evidence suggests that modern types of scan could allow doctors to identify metastases earlier and more precisely, increasing the chances of successful treatment.
“I am keen to see evidence-based use of these scans on the NHS as soon as possible, so that more patients can benefit from the advances we have seen in imaging technologies"
Extracted from:- https://www.icr.ac.uk/news-archive/call-for-hospitals-to-use-high-tech-scans-to-diagnose-prostate-cancers-when-they-can-still-be-cured
I must declare an interesst in scans having had 13 MRI's, + 1 for something else, 1 Choline Pet, 1 68 Gallium PSMA and more CT 's than I can remember starting with 5 in one week in Germany as part of setting up for IMRT+ Carbon Ions.
Edited by member 11 Dec 2019 at 03:24
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