Better screening and treatment to tackle cancer in Paraguay (French Edition)

In Paraguay, cancer is a leading cause of death and, every year, 12 000 Paraguayans are diagnosed with the disease. Limited equipment and a lack of trained personnel in the country mean that many diagnoses come too late and a third of those diagnosed — roughly 4000 people — do not survive. That figure is set to change, as IAEA support to the country ramps up and Paraguay gets its first public sector positron emission tomography– computed tomography (PET–CT) scanner. PET is a modern, non-invasive technique that involves the injection of radiopharmaceuticals into a patient. The radiopharmaceuticals are then traced by the machine for imaging purposes. Thanks to the hybrid nature of the PET–CT scanner, it is possible to produce quantitative three dimensional images to improve medical diagnoses and monitor treatments.