A two-day “Update on PET-CT: Applications in Current Medical Diagnosis” was inaugurated by PGIMER Director Prof KK Talwar at the institute today. The programme is being attended by over 250 delegates from the region. The PET-CT facility at the institute has been operational since March this year for the treatment of various tumours and cancers and is the only such Government facility in the northern part of the country.

Prof B R Mittal, Head, Department of Nuclear Medicine welcomed the delegates and gave a brief outline of the status of PET-CT in India today. Prof Talwar highlighted the achievements of the department and the potential benefits of the PET centre for the people of Northern India, which did not have this facility till now.

The first day’s proceedings included lectures by Prof V Rangarajan from the Tata Memorial Hospital and Dr. Vikram Lele from Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, Prof Bal from AIIMS and Dr. PS Choudhury from the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital, New Delhi and Dr. Kavitha from Apollo hospital Hyderabad.

The speakers detailed the applications of PET-CT fusion imaging in lymphoma, lung cancer, breast cancer, neuroendocrine tumors and cancers affecting the gastro-intestinal tract.

Other speakers highlighted the role of special procedures like PET-guided biopsy and radiotherapy treatment planning. Prof R Khandelwal, Head of the department of Radiodiagnosis at PGIMER, spoke on the advantages of image fusion in medical diagnosis, and Dr. D Kapoor, radiation oncologist at PGI highlighted the role of PET-CT imaging in planning radiation treatment for cancer.

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