To Art of the matter
Rare cancer machine saving Coast men
A NEW cancer machine is helping to save the lives of Gold Coast men.
The $300,000 Artemis is the only one of its kind in Australia and is being used to diagnose and treat prostate cancer patients at Pindara Private Hospital.
The machine fuses ultrasound and MRI scans to give a more precise image of the cancer.
Dr Charles Chabert, director of The Prostate Clinic and Laparoscopic Urology Australia, said the machine had already helped to diagnose 100 Gold Coast men.
“The issue with ultrasound alone is it doesn’t pick up legions or spots so we pair up the ultra sound with previously obtained MRI scans and integrate it and can diagnose much more accurately,” he said.
“The advantage is, we know exactly where the cancer is, there’s no guess work, then we can target that exact tissue during treatment.”
While there are other ultrasound fusion platforms, Pindara Private Hospital is the only hospital who uses the Artemis.
The technology was in the US.
A scan with the Artemis costs patients $500 and is not covered by Medicare or Private Health Insurance.
Dr Chabert said men should not become complacent about their health.
“Don’t bury your head in the sand, it’s not as scary as you think.” developed