8 RiversideHealthcare.org New PET/CT technology: Always here when you need it Scans are a critical tool in cancer diagnosis and treatment In 2016, Henry Bittmann found a bump on his right leg that he thought was a pimple. “And then I got out of the shower one day, and it was bleeding,” says Bittmann, now 74. “That’s when all this started.” He’s talking about his decadelong journey with Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), a rare and aggressive skin cancer. Following surgery and radiation, the retired facilities engineer began an immunotherapy regimen that’s helped to control his cancer. He has regular PET/CT scans to monitor his disease and how well his treatments are working. The experience of getting those scans has improved for Bittmann and other people with cancer—thanks to new imaging technology. Permanent PET/CT unit is a first Riverside Healthcare has expanded imaging technology at the Bourbonnais Campus by installing three brand-new medical imaging units within a newly constructed 5,000-square-foot imaging suite: a new CT scanner, a new MRI unit and a new PET/CT scanner, all of which offer patients quicker results with shorter wait times. The new PET/CT is the region’s first and only permanent unit. Prior to that, patients had their scans in a mobile unit that visited the area weekly or monthly. Having an inhouse PET/CT unit offers easier and more timely scheduling options when patients need a scan right away—for example, when doctors need to know whether a cancer has spread so they can determine the most effective treatments. “It was time to optimize our patient experience and deliver in-house Riverside Healthcare Imaging Services staff members celebrate the new permanent PET/CT scanner during an open house event.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODQ1MTY=