Lung cancer charities have called for more position emission tomography (PET) scanners to be provide...
Lung cancer charities have called for more position emission tomography (PET) scanners to be provided on the NHS to help prevent unnecessary surgery.
PET scanners can pick up signs of lung cancer earlier than other methods, allowing doctors to target treatment more effectively. They are also able to distinguish between benign and malignant tumours, where other treatments can fail.
Although there are several PET initiatives in the private sector, there are only five PET scanners owned by the NHS - all in London. This compares to 160 in the US and over 120 in the rest of Europe.
Peter Cardy, chief executive of MacMillan Cancer Relief, said: "There are around half a dozen PET scanners in the UK but we need more - at least 15 within the next five years to deal with 38,000 lung cancer patients diagnosed each year. Lung cancer patients deserve to get equal access to the best treatment and care to improve their quality of life wherever they live."
