UK doctors at two private clinics in London are using a state-of-the-art computer program that can spot signs of heart disease and cancer that are invisible to the human eye. The technology, which was developed by the British company Medicsight, uses so-called intelligent software to analyse CT scans of a patient’s body. The software enables CT scans that would take a radiologist several hours to examine to be analysed in seconds, and it picks up signs of disease that would not be visible to a doctor. Early diagnosis of diseases such as cancer will greatly improve patients’ chances of survival. Dr Mary Roddie, a consultant radiologist at Charing Cross Hospital in London, described the software as “an enormous leap forward.” The scan is only available at two private clinics in London and currently costs between $490 (£295) and $820 (£495).
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.bbc.co.uk on the 26th September 2003.
