‘A most cancers analysis is horrifying sufficient with out having to journey for care,’ says space MPP
Without a PET-CT Simulator scanner in York Region, many most cancers sufferers at Southlake Regional Health Centre have needed to journey to Toronto or Mississauga, however all that’s going to vary.
On Monday, the hospital unveiled its new PET-CT Simulator scanner for the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre in Newmarket.
Given the stress sufferers cope with already every day, that is a method the realm hospital hopes to make issues simpler on them.
“Getting diagnosed with cancer is stressful enough, but then knowing you have to drive into the city or to Mississauga, my wife (Elizabeth) has been in both of those machines, having it here eliminates one level of stress,” mentioned Bill Lee, a Southlake most cancers affected person. “We have absolute faith in this place and to know it’ll happen here, it takes so much stress away from an already terrible diagnosis.”
On Monday, Southlake representatives, space dignitaries and donors celebrated the event made doable due to an funding of greater than $2.8 million from the provincial authorities and greater than $12 million in fundraising for the marketing campaign that features help for the PET-CT.
With the quantity of vitality the combat in opposition to most cancers takes out of sufferers, having to spend time on the street and in visitors once they’re already exhausted is a tricky proposition, mentioned Jamie Pimek, one other a Southlake most cancers affected person.
“Having gone through treatments and tests myself dealing with cancer, I can’t stress the importance of having this close to home and in your own community,” mentioned Pimek. “Going through chemotherapy treatments, all I wanted to do was get to the hospital and get home.”
The PET-CT Simulator scanner makes use of nuclear medication to detect change inside cells at a metabolic stage, permitting for earlier most cancers analysis. Arden Krystal, president and CEO of Southlake, referred to as the expertise revolutionary.
“To have the best diagnostic and treatment equipment possible is really amazing,” she mentioned. “Patients will no longer have to travel and we can now diagnose patients much more quickly at Southlake. This machine will serve more than 1,200 patients every year and will make a huge difference to the lives of patients.”
As lead doctor for the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre, Dr. Peter Anglin is aware of how huge an influence this machine could have for the group, saying it should give sufferers a day again of their lives, one thing that may imply quite a bit.
“PET scanning has changed how we manage a number of malignants, particularly lymphomas and lung cancer,” he mentioned. “Over the last few years, we’ve been utilizing PET a lot, the only challenge is that our patients have had to make a trip. The biggest thing we do here is provide top-quality care close to home, and for patients to go downtown, it’s a day out of their lives. Now we’re able to offer it close to home and there’s not two to three-week delays to get PET scans done.”
In 2021, Southlake Foundation launched the HERE is Where Cancer Meets its Match marketing campaign to maintain tempo with technological advances and to develop the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre.
“We launched HERE is Where Cancer Meets its Match to address the cancer centre’s most urgent priorities, expanding programs and services, keeping pace with technology, like the PET-CT, and growing our capacity,” mentioned Jennifer Klotz-Ritter, president and CEO of Southlake Foundation. “This is one of the fastest growing populations, and an aging population. We have to be cognizant that these are factors that contribute to the need for cancer care.”
“A cancer diagnosis is scary enough without having to travel for care,” mentioned Dawn Gallagher Murphy, Newmarket-Aurora MPP. “This is a true game-changer.”
Southlake has raised greater than $12 million of its $20-million marketing campaign objective with the funding serving to to carry the hospital its first PET-CT Simulator.
“These funds have empowered us to make headway on important projects to keep cancer care the very best cancer care right here in our community and easy to access,” mentioned Klotz-Ritter. “The PET-CT is a game-changing piece of technology. This really is a milestone moment.”
