June 18, 2007 — New state-of-the-art technology the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan will be showcased at St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours hosted by Schneider Regional Medical Center. The event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 28, at the rear of the Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute.
The PET accurately pinpoints cancerous cells in the human body, according to a press release from the center, and is an upgrade from the traditional methods used to identify cancer. PET uses functional images of the body to detect cancer and can give a precise diagnosis of cancer itself, according to a spokesperson for the center.
Dr. Shirnett Williamson, Schneider Regional’s director of radiation oncology, said the PET scan will be used in working with common cancers, such as liver, lung and cervical cancer in a release from the medical center. The release also states that because the device can scan the entire body, it will be used to look at heart tissue to determine it's viablility.
Williamson was quoted in the release as saying the PET technology “gives us a great advantage to treatment and services. Before, we would have to send patients to the mainland to get this type of treatment, but now we can offer a complete suite of oncology services packages.”
The members and guests at the event will be invited to tour the PET facility and meet with Rodney Miller, Schneider Regional’s president and CEO, and other staff. For more information, call Lorraine Baa-Elisha at 340-776-8311 ext. 2281.