PET-CT Scanner
Help us change and save lives at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. We need your support to put Birmingham on the map.
We are raising a multi-million-pound fundraising appeal to fund a state-of-the-art total body PET-CT Scanner for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
We are a centre of excellence for cancer care in the West Midlands and currently see thousands of patients. This scanner will transform the care we are able to provide our patients.
Changing the Story for our Patients
The total body PET-CT scanner allows us to diagnose patients quicker, the faster they are treated the greater the chance we will save their life.
It will allow treatment or diagnosis for people who currently have very limited or no safe options, including:
- Pregnant women - who often have to delay cancer diagnosis or treatment - putting both mum and baby at risk.
- Children who may need anaesthetic or higher radiation with current scans. The lower dose and shorter scan makes it lower risk and less scary.
Fighting Cancer: Supporting Research
The new scanner is:
- More sensitive → gives better images
- Faster → shorter scan times - less scary for kids and those with behavioural issues
- Lower radiation → safer for vulnerable patients like children and pregnant women
This means more people can be scanned safely and comfortably.
How PET-CT Scans Help Us See Function
Beyond Images: How PET-CT scans help us see function
A PET-CT scanner differs from other scanners because it allows our staff to see how parts of the body are working, rather than showing what they look like as a still image. They are particularly useful for investigating cancer cases, to determine how far the cancer has spread and how well it is responding to treatment. The scans produce a 3D image of the inside of the body so our staff can determine the best care plan. Another possible benefit of being diagnosed sooner is that a patient's treatment plan could be less invasive.
Not Just Cancer: Unveiling the Potential for Alzheimer's Research
This appeal could also lead to ground-breaking advancements as the PET-CT scanner could be used in new and innovative ways not just for cancer patients, but also for the possibility of diagnosing early Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's affects an estimated 1 in 14 people over the age of 65 and 1 in every 6 people over the age of 80. Being able to be diagnosed earlier will open up the possibility of being entered into cutting-edge clinical trials quicker, not only improving their quality of life but could also lead to research breakthroughs that could revolutionise treatment for patients up and down the country.
Please donate to the PET-CT Scanner Appeal today to help us save more lives and be a part of pioneering cancer, cardiac and neurological research.
Should the appeal not reach its target to allow the investment, the trustees reserve the right to divert funds raised to other projects where it is most needed.