The Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, announced the construction of a new nuclear medicine production facility that promises to significantly improve the availability of the latest in disease diagnosis and treatment to thousands of Australians suffering from cancer and serious illness each year.
Under this ground-breaking $10 million deal between the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) and global medical giant Siemens Medical Solutions, there will be improved access to life-saving Positron Emission Tomography (PET).
PET is a state-of-the-art nuclear medicine diagnostic technique which has produced significant advances in the diagnosis of cancer and other major medical conditions as it allows doctors to see disease at its earliest stage and precisely monitor treatment.
?Two new cyclotrons will be constructed at ANSTO and will produce the short-lived radiopharmaceuticals used in PET scanning,? Minister Bishop said.
?PET is the fastest growing medical diagnostic imaging technique in the world and was recently recognised in Federal Government research as the best option for diagnosis and treatment in Australia. Its use has grown globally by 200 per cent in the last two years but there remains significant additional demand for this diagnostic test.”
PET facilities currently exist in the following hospitals:
NSW: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Liverpool Hospital, Newcastle Hospital, St Vincent?s Hospital and Westmead Hospital.
VIC: Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, Austin Health and Medical Imaging Australia, Monash Medical Centre.
QLD: Royal Brisbane Hospital, Wesley Hospital.
WA: Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
SA: Royal Adelaide Hospital.