New technology is a game-changer for cancer detection in adults, children and for certain neurological conditions
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — White Plains Hospital has recently acquired groundbreaking radiology technology—a PET/MRI scanner—that provides the most comprehensive look at the human body and offers unparalleled imaging capabilities for cancer detection and assessment of neurological conditions. With only 115 PET/MRIs available worldwide, White Plains Hospital is the first and only healthcare facility in the Hudson Valley and Fairfield County to have this new technology. PET/MRI scans combine the anatomical accuracy of MRI with the metabolic information of positron emission tomography (PET) to provide exceptional image quality, shorter test times, and lower radiation exposure for patients.
According to Dr. Andre Khoury, Co-Director of Radiology at White Plains Hospital, the new PET/MRI scan is the latest state-of-the-art tool to improve the health of our community. “PET/MRI screening is on its way of becoming the gold standard for detecting a range of diseases in their earliest stages. It’s rare to see this level of technology at a community hospital, but it’s indicative of our commitment to expand access to advanced care, close to home. Since acquiring this scanner, we have had requests from physicians throughout the region who understand the amazing capabilities of PET/MRI and want their patients to come in to be evaluated.”
PET/MRI technology is used in pediatric oncology and for the detection of many adult cancers, including: prostate cancer, neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors, brain, breast and head and neck cancers. PET/MRI scans are also ideal for evaluating neurological disorders, such as: dementia, epilepsy, with ongoing research in stroke, traumatic brain injury, and movement disorders. A recent study in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine found that the PET/MRI improved lesion detection in selected cancers by more than 15% and reduced ionizing radiation by nearly 80% when compared with PET/CT.
The PET/MRI scanner is one of many advanced healthcare services offered at White Plains Hospital’s new Center for Advanced Medicine & Surgery (CAMS). CAMS opened in early June 2021 and is a 252,000-square-foot, nine-story outpatient center that features state-of-the-art operating rooms, endoscopy, ambulatory and procedure suites, wound care delivered through hyperbaric chambers, advanced imaging, non-invasive diagnostic testing and specialty physician offices. The facility also features expert physicians in specialties including: Orthopedics & Spine; Urology; Pain Management; Ear, Nose and Throat; Thyroid; Colorectal; Vascular; Plastic; and Bariatric care; as well as Electrophysiology.
To find out more about PET/MRI and the advanced imaging capabilities at White Plains Hospital, visit wphospital.org/diagnosticimaging.
About White Plains Hospital
White Plains Hospital is a proud member of the Montefiore Health System, serving as its tertiary hub of advanced care in the Hudson Valley. The Hospital is a 292-bed not-for-profit health care organization with the primary mission of providing exceptional acute and preventive medical care to all people who live in, work in or visit Westchester County and its surrounding areas. Centers of Excellence include the Center for Cancer Care, The William & Sylvia Silberstein Neonatal & Maternity Center and The Ruth and Jerome A. Siegel Stroke Center. The Hospital’s Flanzer Emergency Department is the busiest in Westchester County, with more than 64,000 patient visits a year. White Plains Hospital performs lifesaving emergency and elective angioplasty in its Joan and Alan Herfort, MD, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Marie Promuto Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. White Plains Hospital has outpatient medical facilities across Westchester, including multispecialty practices in Armonk, New Rochelle, Somers and Yorktown Heights; and Scarsdale Medical Group locations in Harrison and Scarsdale.
The Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission and earned its recognition as a Top Performer for Key Quality Measures® in 2015 and 2013. The Hospital received Magnet® designation in 2012 and 2016 from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The Hospital earned a three-year accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), one of 16 hospitals in the nation, and the Hospital's Bariatric Surgical Center is accredited as a Comprehensive Center under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). White Plains Hospital has also received full accreditation for its breast cancer program from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) and The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) recognized White Plains Hospital as a top 10% performing hospital for achieving meritorious outcomes for surgical patient care in 2019. In 2021, White Plains Hospital received the Outstanding Patient Experience Award from Healthgrades® for the sixth time and was the only Hospital in Westchester to be awarded with an A Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group for the 5th consecutive time.