National Blood & Cancer Center Selects GE Healthcare to Expand Range of Premier Oncology Services in the Kingdoms Private Sector
The National Blood & Cancer Center (NBCC) has selected GE Healthcare as its key imaging technology and advisory partner for the establishment of Saudi Arabias first private healthcare facility licensed to prevent, screen, diagnose and treat cancer and blood diseases. The center on King Abdullah Road in Riyadh, set to open in May, will boost diagnostic care with a new comprehensive out-patients facility that will bring several new offerings in Hematology and Oncology in the Saudi private sector, including dedicated outpatient Chemotherapy infusion unit and the Kingdoms first Same-Day Cancer Diagnosis Clinic.
NBCCs Radiology Department will house GEs latest diagnostic imaging systems including Magnetic Resonance, CT-Scan, Ultrasound and Healthcare IT solutions. The facility will feature - for the first time in the Kingdom - GEs Automated Breast Ultrasound System (ABUS)* intended for use as an adjunct tool with mammography, and GE Healthcares first-ever integrated, simultaneous PET/MR system, first outside USA.
This a hybrid imaging system that combines PET which is used to determine the activity of cancer cells in a tumor mass and MR which focuses on specifying the location and physical size of a tumor. As part of the partnership, NBCC will also leverage GE Healthcares clinical department solutions designed to enhance the patient experience through the development of locally relevant cancer patient pathways and more efficient patient throughput, as well as the deployment of technical and leadership training to ensure optimization of product features and benefits.
Further, in an agreement witnessed by GE Healthcares global president & CEO, John Flannery, the clinic is set to become a reference site for GE Healthcare in the region with GE to provide NBCC access to new and emerging technologies and solutions, advisory support and collaboration in the development for technologies and solutions.
As the regions largest group of physicians specialized in hematology and oncology, NBCCs vision is to increase access to quality and affordable care for cancer and rare blood diseases to compliment the public sector and drive innovation and research through the development of new and innovative service lines and diagnostic imaging services. As part our long-term expansion plans, NBCC aims to establish an internationally recognized hematology and oncology network of excellence with a new 150-bed oncology hospital to be built in Riyadh, supported by a number of regional satellite cancer centers to be established in various parts of the Kingdom. To achieve this ambitious plan, we aim to leverage the global and regional expertise, capabilities and integrated offerings provided by our highly respected international partners like GE to ensure a gold standard of cancer care is delivered to our patients within their communities, said Dr. Hamad Al-Omar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of NBCC.
The rise of all forms of cancer continues to place significant burden on the community and the healthcare system, said Mazen Dalati, President & CEO, GE Healthcare Saudi Arabia. With research showing that at least one-third of cancer cases are preventable1 meeting the cancer challenge head-on ranks among the key health priorities of Saudi Arabia. Complementing the leadership of the public sector, GE applauds the efforts of the National Blood Cancer Center for building and expanding access to essential oncology services in the private sector. Through its work globally and in the region, GE Healthcare is a committed partner in the Kingdom and across the Middle East to bring its extensive oncology solutions and expertise to help combat cancer.
Innovation is at the forefront of this approach helping researchers increase their understanding of the causes and the progression of cancer. For example, while GEs imaging systems assist doctors in seeing the tumour, molecular imaging agents help target cancer and molecular diagnostics help physicians personalize cancer treatment and management decisions. Further, new and emerging diagnostics including GE Healthcares latest positron emission tomography (PET) tracer technologies can also help doctors determine whether specific oncological treatments are working.
In line with efforts to bring innovation to tackle the global burden of breast cancer, GEs SenoBright Contrast Enhanced Spectral Mammography (CESM)** technology combines digital mammography, X-ray and a contrast agent to help detect and localize a lesion rapidly. CESM can be used to help confirm findings and localize lesions when screening results are inconclusive and can be performed quickly, potentially reducing the stress of waiting time for many women.
In September 2011, GE launched an ambitious global campaign against cancer, committing $1 billion of its total R&D budget over the next five years to expand its advanced cancer diagnostic and molecular imaging capabilities, as well as its world-class technologies for the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals and for cancer research. By the end of 2013, more than $525 million had been invested, setting GE on track to meet its five-year commitment. To accelerate progress the campaign against cancer combines the strength of GEs portfolio of cancer technologies with the innovations born from collaborations with key partners.
