Grant to fund PET breast scans for northern California uninsured
A Susan G. Komen for the Cure Grant will be used to fund scans for uninsured breast cancer patients at Northern California PET Imaging Centers (NCPIC). The system being provided through the grant is a PEM Flex Solo II PET scanner from Naviscan PET Systems. The grant was coordinated by the Komen Sacramento Affiliate.
The PEM Flex Solo II is a high-resolution PET scanner designed to image small body parts and can be used with other imaging modalities. Solo II utilizes a specialized form of PET technology called positron emission mammography (PEM), which allows physicians to visualize and characterize lesions as small as two millimeters in size, about the diameter of a mammary duct.
The collaboration between NCPIC and the Komen Sacramento Affiliate will provide PEM imaging to breast cancer patients who may not have access to the latest technology. The PEM scan may provide additional information to the surgical oncologist to aid in the management of the patient's cancer.
"The information obtained through PEM imaging will be used to establish a clinical algorithm that can best evaluate breast cancer and help determine the appropriate medical management for the patient," said Steven Falen, MD, PhD, and medical director at NCPIC.
The PEM Flex Solo II is a high-resolution PET scanner designed to image small body parts and can be used with other imaging modalities. Solo II utilizes a specialized form of PET technology called positron emission mammography (PEM), which allows physicians to visualize and characterize lesions as small as two millimeters in size, about the diameter of a mammary duct.
The collaboration between NCPIC and the Komen Sacramento Affiliate will provide PEM imaging to breast cancer patients who may not have access to the latest technology. The PEM scan may provide additional information to the surgical oncologist to aid in the management of the patient's cancer.
"The information obtained through PEM imaging will be used to establish a clinical algorithm that can best evaluate breast cancer and help determine the appropriate medical management for the patient," said Steven Falen, MD, PhD, and medical director at NCPIC.