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Aga Khan University Hospital conducts first prostate PET-CT Scan in the region

<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img src="/nairobi/PublishingImages/Prostate%20PET%20SCAN%20body.jpg" alt="" style="margin: 5px;"/></span> </p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Caption: <em>Dr Khalid Makhdomi (left), Consultant Nuclear Medicine Physician and Section Head, Nuclear Medicine, Dr Samuel Nguku (centre), Consultant Radiologist and Nuclear Medicine Specialist, and Daniel Oguna (left), a PET CT Technologist examine a PET CT scan image at Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi (AKUH, N) has begun
conducting the Prostate Cancer PET-CT scan, the latest and most advanced scan
for evaluation of patients with prostate cancer.  This is a significant development in the
diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer in the region.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">AKUH,N becomes the first hospital in East and Central Africa to
conduct the Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) PET CT scan which has
been available for only a few years and in the most advanced centres in the
world. This underscores the Hospital’s reputation as a leading medical
institution and teaching hospital in the region, and beyond.  </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In view of its higher sensitivity, this Scan can identify
sites of early prostate cancer spread before they are picked up by conventional
imaging modalities. This allows for better treatment options of the disease at
a very early stage which has not been possible till now. This is bound to have
a major impact on the successful outcomes of the treatment for those with
prostate cancer.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Following advancement in our PET CT Scan technology and
growth in the expertise of our radiology and laboratory departments, AKUH,N is
now able to produce the radioactive substance required for this scan as well as
conduct the test. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Compared to the presently established methods of imaging
prostate cancer such as MRI and bone scan, PSMA PET CT scan has a higher
sensitivity for identification of sites of prostate cancer spread, be it in the
bones or in any other organ such as lymph nodes, liver and lungs. It can be
used for this purpose at the initial diagnosis of the disease, during follow-up
and when disease recurrence is suspected. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The capacity to conduct this test adds to the expertise of
our PET CT Scan and Cyclotron, a technology we acquired in 2018 at a cost of
KES 600 million, becoming the first hospital in the region to do so. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The state-of-the-art technology has improved the diagnosis
and treatment of cancer, heart disease and other diseases as it enables
physicians to study the body in extraordinary detail, allowing them to diagnose
diseases early and plan the most effective course of treatment.
</span></p>

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