Since 2020, the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara has invested more than $10 million into the Nuclear Medicine Department of Ridley-Tree Cancer Center at Cottage Hospital, to help ensure Santa Barbara County residents have access to the latest imaging technologies and superior cancer care.
As part of the investment, the foundation funded the purchase and installation of a state-of-the-art digital SPECT/CT machine, bringing immediate improvements to patient care, scan wait times, and diagnostic precision, the foundation said.
The new digital SPECT/CT, which became operational in March, has improved care by reducing scan times by half. With the enhanced speed of the new system, shorter scan times have also led to shorter wait times for appointments.
Before its arrival, nuclear medicine staff scheduled appointments within 30-45 days. Now, appointments can be scheduled within seven days or less.
The digital SPECT/CT machine combines two types of scans, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and Computed Tomography (CT), to provide high-resolution images of the body, helping physicians diagnose and treat conditions such as tumors, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.
Compared to older analog machines, the digital system offers greater precision and lower radiation exposure for patients.
This advanced technology is already saving lives, the foundation said.
“I had a bit of a health scare, and it was the nuclear imaging equipment and staff that picked it up and likely saved my life,” said one of the Cancer Foundation’s former trustees. “They identified a potential heart problem that turned out to be a 99% blocked artery.
“Thanks to their quick diagnosis, I was able to undergo an angiogram, have a stent placed, and now I’m pretty much good as new.”
For more about the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, visit www.cfsb.org.