- The hospital has introduced a digital AI-enabled PET Scan, enhancing the precision and efficiency of a cancer diagnosis.
- The digital PET scan focuses on glucose metabolism in the body, providing critical information about the activity of cancers.
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The Nairobi West Hospital on Friday performed the country's first-ever digital AI-enabled PET (positron emission tomography) scan.
A PET scan is a highly advanced imaging technique that allows doctors to check for diseases in the body.
The hospital has introduced a digital AI-enabled PET Scan, enhancing the precision and efficiency of a cancer diagnosis.
This innovative technology utilizes a special dye containing radioactive tracers, which, when introduced into the body, allows the PET scanner to produce detailed images of the internal workings of the body.
The digital PET scan focuses on glucose metabolism in the body, providing critical information about the activity of cancers.
"The digital AI-enabled PET Scan is a revolutionary technology that is set to redefine cancer diagnosis in Kenya,” Dr Solomon Mutua, a Clinical Oncologist at the hospital said.
“Its enhanced specificity and accuracy in cancer diagnosis and evaluation promise a new era of precision medicine, directly benefiting our patients by offering more accurate diagnoses, leading to more effective treatment plans."
The introduction of this state-of-the-art technology is a game-changer for patients in the country and the surrounding regions.
With the digital AI-enabled PET Scan now available in-house, the Nairobi West Hospital will now be offering a more accessible and cost-effective option for those in need.
The FDG PET scan is priced at Sh50,000, while the PSMA PET scan, another advanced diagnostic tool available at the hospital costs Sh65,000.
“This initiative not only helps patients cut down on medical expenses and logistics but also underscores the hospital's role in the national effort to combat cancer more effectively,” Mutua said.
A PSMA scan is a nuclear medicine imaging technique used in the diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer.
A Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) is used to detect metabolically active malignant lesions in the body.
FDG-PET scan may also be used to stage and monitor the response to therapy of malignant disease.
They include lung cancer, colorectal cancer, lymphoma, melanoma, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, brain cancer and multiple myeloma.
According to the World Health Organization, half of the world’s population, including most Kenyans, lack access to these diagnostic tools.
That’s why in a groundbreaking move toward advancing universal health coverage, WHO, in May last year, passed a significant resolution on strengthening diagnostics capacity.
This resolution aims to address the challenges related to access, affordability and quality of diagnostic tests.