Doha 29 April, 2012: His Excellency Abdullah Bin Khaled Al Qahtani, the Minister of Public Health and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Health inaugurated this morning the country's first operational Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) and cyclotron facility for the diagnosis and research of cancer and other ailments.

The two storey 2500 square meter PET-CT Center for Diagnosis and Research is one of the most technologically advanced in the region and is located adjacent to the National Center for Cancer Care and Research, (NCCCR). The NCCCR, under the umbrella of HMC, is the sole integrated comprehensive cancer diagnosis and treatment   facility within the State of Qatar.

Present at the inaugural ceremony were Hanan Al Kuwari PhD, Managing Director of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and other officials.

Following a tour in the new facility, His Excellency said: "We would like to congratulate HMC on the launch of this diagnostic center which is a great enhancement for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other ailments. I hope that this facility would be a good omen for the advancement of therapeutic services provided to our patients and would save them the agony of travelling abroad in search of diagnosis and treatment. The completion of this outstanding center, from design to commissioning, within a span of one year has been a great achievement by all standards."

The PET-CT Center, will offer complete patient care ranging from diagnosis and assessment of treatment response for cancer, cardiology and neurology patients. It houses a state of the art combination PET-CT scanner, an imaging system that gives physicians highly defined, three dimensional pictures of both form and function inside a patient's body. In addition, an adjacent Cyclotron facility is equipped to produce radiopharmaceuticals, specialized drugs that can be targeted to specific metabolism and the function of cells.

PET-CT imaging is promising for the diagnosis of a variety of conditions. The images can be used by doctors to plan precise radiation therapies that target cancer cells but avoid healthy cells, and also to monitor response to treatment.  It has applications in many fields including cardiology, neurology and psychiatry.

The PET center requires a cyclotron and a radiochemistry laboratory on site to produce the radiopharmaceuticals.

Dr. Hanan said the Center is equipped with the latest technology of Cyclotron and Radiopharmaceutical production equipments to serve HMC and other PET units within the State of Qatar.

 "This facility will make a substantial impact on patient care, and is a key deliverable of the  National Cancer Strategy" said Dr Hanan said. "It demonstrates the commitment of HMC to provide access to cutting edge diagnostic and treatment monitoring technologies for optimal patient care."

Prior to the opening of the facility patients who required PET-CT imaging had to seek the services overseas. "The opening of this center establishes HMC as the premier center for health care within Qatar and the region, and allows for the development of high level research capability," said Dr. Noora Al Hammadi, Chairman of the PET-CT Steering Committee and Director of the Radiation Oncology program at the NCCCR

"This technology allows unparalleled and simultaneous assessment of both form and function in the patient" noted Dr. Al Hammadi. "The PET scanner shows the physician metabolism and the function of cells, while the CT (computed tomography) shows detailed anatomy. With these combined images, doctors can get more information about a patient's condition, enabling them to make the best choices regarding treatment," added Dr. Al Hammadi.

About PET CT: 
PET-CT is a unique hybrid imaging investigation which allows the study of both structure and function within the human body. Clinically it allows Physicians to make earlier cancer diagnoses, have greater accuracy in determining the extent of the cancers, and perform more precise treatment planning. While PET-CT is an important tool for patients with known or suspected cancer, it is also very helpful for patients with certain heart conditions as well as neurological diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

The PET-CT exam is painless and safe, and the procedure generally lasts approximately 30 to 60 minutes. Before having the scan, patients receive a dose of a 'tracer,' a drug that mimics substances found naturally in the body. These tracers will accumulate in diseased cells which are then detected by the imaging system during scanning. This creates an image of the patient's anatomy as well as highlighting any abnormal physiology. Thus Physicians can determine if any disease is present, the location and extent of the disease, and how rapidly the disease is spreading. The technology can also be used to assess how well disease is responding to a particular treatment.

About HMC:
Hamad Medical Corporation is the premier non-profit health care provider in Doha, Qatar.  It was established by Emiri decree in 1979 and manages eight highly specialized hospitals, namely, Hamad General Hospital, Rumailah Hospital, Women's Hospital, Al Amal Hospital, Heart Hospital, Al Wakra Hospital, the Cuban Hospital and Al Khor Hospital.  Since its establishment, HMC has rapidly developed medical facilities capable of providing state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment of diseases that previously could only be managed in overseas medical centers.

HMC prides itself in providing quality and cost efficient health care for all patients regardless of nationality, in line with the State of Qatar's pledge of "Health for All".  For this purpose, the Corporation implements a policy of continuous improvement of all management systems and patient care protocols. HMC's ethos is based on three key pillars which are Health, Education and Research.

For more information, please contact:
Marketing and Public Relations Department
Hamad Medical Corporation
Tel. No.: +974 4439 6126
Fax No.: +974 4439 5002
www.hmc.org.qa

© Press Release 2012