White Plains, N.Y.-based White Plains Hospital announces that it has acquired a PET/MRI scanner—which, hospital officials say, 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 PET to provide advanced image quality, shorter test times, and lower radiation exposure for patients.

According to Andre Khoury, MD, co-director of radiology at White Plains Hospital, the new GE Healthcare SIGNA PET/MRI scanner 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.”

What’s more, Khoury says, “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.

In fact, 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.