Boon to cancer patients: Upper Assam gets first PET Scan services

Dibrugarh, Sept 1: PET Scan (Positron Emission Tomography Scan) is a technique to detect the extent of spread of cancer and the progress & response to treatment in cancer patients. In absence of this facility, many patients had to undertake travel to faraway places and spend considerable sum of money to avail the facility and that too after a long wait. This is a critical test for efficient and accurate treatment of cancer which is now available at. Kolkata and brought by regular airlines under strict radiation safety precautions.

The isotope has to be used on same day since it loses its efficacy due to limited half-life. With the efforts of ACCF, all the regulatory formalities have been completed as per satisfaction of the Atomic Energy Regulation Board (AERB) and PET facilities are now in the Dibrugarh Cancer Center operated by the Assam Cancer Care Foundation - a joint initiative of the Government of Assam and the Tata Trusts.

PET CT involves logistics management as the isotope required for the test is procured from available in Dibrugarh for common people at most economic price. Dr Nitin Gangrade - Consultant, Nuclear Medicine at Dibrugarh Cancer Center has stated that the PET CT is latest and state-of-the-art machine available now in Dibrugarh and can perform all those tests which are regularly carried out in big cities.

Dibrugarh Cancer Center has few more firsts such as first 128 Slice CT Scan which can undertake cardiac studies, a 3 Tesla MRI machine, the highest specification available in MRI technology and most modern blood component lab which is likely to start services in a few In the last four months 950 patients have received Chemotherapy, and 5800 patients have received Radiation Therapy.

ACCF cancer center in Dibrugarh has two Linear accelerators - again first in Upper Assam and about 60 patients get the benefitted daily from these machines with practically no waiting for their turn to start the treatment.

It is only because of the visionary efforts of the Government of Assam in coordination with Tata Trusts, that the Dibrugarh Cancer Center is progressing at a fast pace and bringing world class cancer treatment modalities close to patients' home and we are confident that the center would carve a niche for itself in national cancer care landscape, said Mr. Biswajit Pegu, DC Dibrugarh.