July 8, 2011

Hospital Adds Capabilities for Cancer Test

Jasper County Hospital now has the capabilities to perform a scan to detect a specific group of cancerous tumors. With the aid of a new dual head camera, the Hospital can now perform a nuclear radiographic examination to detect hormonal based tumors. The test is called an octreoscan.

"The ability to perform an octreoscan at Jasper County Hospital will save patients travel time and therefore expense," states Tina Paymaster, CNMT, certified nuclear medicine technologist. "The procedure takes up to 72 hours and requires scans at three, twenty-four hour intervals."

An octreoscan is used to detect neuroendocrine tumors; tumors that arise from the endocrine (hormonal) and nervous systems. A chemical used by the patient's body is called somatostatin which helps the body produce the right amount of growth hormone. To perform the Scan, an artificial form of somatostatin called "octreotide" is tagged with a slightly radioactive tracer and injected into the body. A series of pictures are then taken with the special camera to track and identify any reactive tumors.

To learn if you may be a candidate for an octreoscan, consult your family physician or oncologist. To schedule a procedure, contact Jasper County Hospital Community Wide Scheduling, (219) 866-2026.