Cancer patients in Malta now have access to improved cancer treatment thanks to a new computed tomography (CT) scanner installed late last year at the country’s Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre (SAMOC). Several hundred have already undergone therapy planning on the scanner, which will replace an ageing, 10-year-old machine. It was installed following years of IAEA support and guidance and put into operation following IAEA-organized virtual and on-site training on how to operate the new equipment safely and effectively.
“So far, we have planned the therapy of approximately 820 patients with the new scanner, and our team has gained valuable experience in advanced diagnostic imaging techniques, made possible by the new scanner, across the entire human body,” said Dorothy Anne Aquilina, the Medical Physics Coordinator of SAMOC.
The new machine is expected to improve image quality and treatment outcomes for the around 70 per cent of the Centre’s 1200 annual cancer patients who require radiotherapy. It will also broaden access to modern, safe, effective and precise treatment and diagnosis.