The new facilities are designed to help doctors detect cancer more accurately, understand how the disease behaves inside the body and select appropriate treatment options for individual patients. The centre’s modern nuclear medicine department is among the few in the region to bring advanced diagnostic imaging and targeted radiation-based treatments together under one roof.
Gamma Camera Imaging Offers Insights Into Organ Function
Gamma Camera imaging is a specialised nuclear medicine technique that helps doctors assess how organs function, rather than simply showing their structure as conventional imaging scans primarily do.
During the procedure, a small and safe amount of a radioactive substance, known as a tracer, is administered to the patient. The camera detects the tracer as it moves through the body and generates images that show how different organs and tissues are functioning.
The technology can help identify abnormalities at an early stage and support treatment decisions. Gamma Camera imaging can be used to examine several parts of the body, including the heart, thyroid and other endocrine organs, liver and gallbladder, kidneys and urinary system.
PET-CT Combines Tumour Activity and Detailed Imaging
PET-CT is another important diagnostic tool in modern cancer care. It combines positron emission tomography (PET) with computed tomography (CT) to provide information about both cellular activity and the body's internal structures.
A PET scan reveals how active different cells are in the body. Cancer cells often behave differently from normal cells and may absorb higher amounts of certain substances. A CT scan provides detailed images of organs and other internal structures.
By combining these techniques, doctors can obtain a clearer understanding of a tumour's location, its activity and the extent to which cancer may have spread. PET-CT can help confirm and stage cancer, guide treatment planning and assess whether a treatment is working.
Dr. Surya Teja Gavani, Consultant Nuclear Medicine Specialist at HCG Aastha Cancer Centre, said the centre uses different radioactive tracers according to the type of cancer and the patient's clinical condition.
“We offer advanced, disease-specific tracers such as FDG, PSMA, DOTA and FAPI. The choice of tracer depends on the patient’s condition and helps us understand the tumour more completely and plan the next step in treatment,” he said.
Targeted Radionuclide Therapy Focuses Radiation on Cancer Cells
Alongside diagnostic imaging, the centre has introduced targeted radionuclide therapies that use radioactive medicines to target cancer cells.
These medicines are designed to identify specific cancer cells and deliver radiation to them, with the aim of damaging and destroying the cancer cells while reducing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues.
Targeted radionuclide treatments have been used for several types of cancer. Radioiodine therapy, for example, is commonly used for certain thyroid cancers. Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is used for some neuroendocrine tumours, while prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) therapy can be used for suitable patients with prostate cancer.
Dr. Gavani explained that these treatments form an important part of precision medicine, in which treatment choices are increasingly guided by the specific characteristics of a patient's disease.
Centre Integrates Diagnosis, Treatment and Follow-Up Care
With the introduction of these services, HCG Aastha Cancer Centre aims to provide a more comprehensive approach to cancer care. The technologies enable doctors to gather detailed information about a patient's disease, while specialists from different disciplines can collaborate to determine the most suitable treatment.
The centre said its advanced technology is supported by experienced specialists who work together to develop personalised treatment plans covering diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care.
The initiative focuses on improving the accuracy of cancer detection, providing a clearer understanding of disease activity and helping doctors select appropriate treatments for individual patients. By bringing advanced nuclear medicine imaging and targeted therapies together, the centre aims to support a coordinated approach to cancer management, from diagnosis through treatment and subsequent follow-up.
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