Medilines delivers cancer diagnostic equipment to SPMC (Sabong News)

Medilines Distributors Inc. has provided state-of-the-art cancer diagnostic equipment in Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) for its new P529 million Cancer Diagnostic Institute Building. SPMC, located in Davao City, is the largest tertiary Hospital under the Department of Health that is fast becoming a world-class facility and the leading provider of health care and training in Mindanao. The new modern facility is equipped with three advanced cancer diagnostic equipment – the SPECT/CT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography), PET/CT (Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography), and the Medical Cyclotron – which comprises the first complete cancer diagnosis package in Mindanao. The Molecular Imaging modalities of Siemens Healthineers, Symbia Intevo BOLD SPECT/CT and Biograph mCT PET/CT, complete the imaging needs of the Nuclear Medicine section of the cancer institute. These advanced modalities essentially equip the facility with the most useful diagnostic and/or treatment information for many diseases. Nuclear medicine offers the potential to identify disease in its earliest stage, often before symptoms occur or abnormalities can be detected with other diagnostic tests. It enables the physicians to find, characterize and follow the development of the disease over time. A SPECT/CT procedure, like a whole-body bone scan, is less expensive and may yield more precise information compared to invasive procedures like exploratory surgery. Once a lesion is detected, a PET/CT procedure may provide additional diagnosis on whether the lesion is benign or malignant, without the need for surgical biopsy. Additionally, both systems provide much needed information for radiotherapy planning. Having both the SPECT/CT and PET/CT within the same roof enables SPMC to deliver quality patient care that focuses on precision medicine and personalized care. Nuclear Medicine modalities requires radio pharmaceutical (also known as tracer) to image patients. SPMC does not have dependencies on the supply of radio pharmaceuticals since the facility already has the capability to produce these in-house. The SPECT/CT includes a generator for the production of the required tracers and the newly installed Sumitomo HM-20, the first medical cyclotron installed in a public hospital in the Philippines and consequently, the first in Mindanao, produces these radio pharmaceuticals for the PET/CT tracers. The combined capabilities and application of these revolutionary technologies are critical along the clinical journey of cancer patients. With its partnership with Medilines, SPMC now has the tools to support their patients at any point in their condition – from detection and comprehension of each patient’s situation to effective and personalized treatment, therapy, monitoring, and even to restaging and follow-ups for those in remission. The Cancer Diagnostic Institute Building was completed this March 2022, with Medilines providing service and support since it started its construction last October 2019. The diagnostic facility is worth approximately ₱529 million, with the budget coming from the Office of the President thru the Health Facility Enhancement Program of the Department of Health (DOH).