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MUSC, Roper collaborate to provide PET imaging  Lowcountry PET Imaging Center, a cooperative effort between MUSC and Roper Hospital, will enhance the Lowcountry's diagnostic imaging capabilities. The new, state-of-the-art positron emission tomography (PET) system, which is located at 30 Bee St., offers early and highly accurate detection of cancer. The sophisticated imaging technology also provides physicians with important information about many other conditions affecting the heart and other organs. The $2 million Lowcountry PET Imaging Center is coastal South Carolina's only facility, and it is the only fixed site system in the state.   CareAlliance and MUSC will use the PET scanner cooperatively. CareAlliance owns and manages the Lowcountry PET Center, leasing space from MUSC for the facility to house it. Both CareAlliance and MUSC physicians will have equal access to the PET scanner for their patients.    “We are pleased to bring the latest technology for detecting cancer to the residents of the Lowcountry,” said Edward L. Berdick, president and CEO of CareAlliance. “Providing the Medical University and its patients with access to the PET scanner reduces the duplication of services and health care costs in our community. We have all worked diligently to make this affiliation a reality. This collaboration benefits the health of our community as well as our organizations.”   MUSC president Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., agreed. He said, “This is an excellent example of the power of collaboration. By working cooperatively with our sister health care provider, we are not only bringing a valuable resource to the community, but also providing our students and residents with an opportunity to gain experience with the technologies of the future. The residents we train will bring these capabilities to communities across the state. In addition, our scientists will have a powerful new tool, opening up opportunities for involvement in cutting-edge research.  This is a win for the Medical University, a win for CareAlliance, but most importantly, a win for the patients we serve.”   PET is an imaging procedure that provides physicians with information about the body's chemistry, cell function and location of disease. The images obtained with PET are not available with other imaging technologies, such as CT, MRI or X-ray. The difference lies in the ability of PET to depict  body function rather than giving radiological images of anatomy or body structure.     For oncology patients, PET is used to determine the exact location and stage of cancerous tissue and can prevent unnecessary surgery and biopsies and inappropriate treatments.    “PET will have a major impact on our clinical evaluations of cancer patients, and in many cases will enable physicians to begin treatment earlier and increase the odds for successful patient outcomes,” said  James W. Melton, M.D., medical director, Lowcountry PET Imaging Center and medical director, nuclear medicine, Roper Hospital.     In addition, the PET scanner will be a valuable tool for cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons seeking to determine if bypass surgery is appropriate for an individual, according to Kenneth M. Spicer, MD, vice chairman of the Department of Radiology and co-director of nuclear medicine at MUSC. PET is the most accurate method of determining if heart muscle served by a blocked coronary artery is viable or not. If the muscle is alive, a bypass will relieve the patient of pain and preserve the heart. But if that portion of the heart is made up of dead scar tissue, there is no point in subjecting the patient to major cardiac surgery.  “PET scan is the gold standard for this determination,” said Spicer.   An important future use of the PET scan is in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.  Early diagnosis is extremely important because it allows the patient and family to react to the disease and make plans.   In addition there are other diseases that cause Alzheimer's-like dementia, and these can be treated.  The PET scan has the capability to make this distinction.   The ECAT EXACT HR+ PET Scanner, manufactured by CTI PET Systems, Inc. (CPS) of Knoxville, Tenn., provides the highest patient throughput and best image quality for whole-body PET imaging.   “Physicians and health care organizations are now beginning to grasp the tremendous impact that PET technology can have in delivering high quality, cost-effective health care, especially in the oncology field,” said Fred Stuvek Jr., vice president of marketing and sales for CPS. “Care-Alliance's investment in a PET scanner shows they understand the powerful impact PET can have on patients' lives.”