China-developed cancer detection device gets market access

WUHAN -- A China-developed cutting-edge cancer detection device, which integrates positron emission tomography (PET) scan and CT scan, has been approved by national drug regulators and obtained market access earlier this month.

The equipment was developed by scientists from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, after a 19-year study.

In May 2018, the National Medical Products Administration greenlighted the clinical trial, which tested its safety and effectiveness at two hospitals in Guangdong Province.

PET is a nuclear medicine functional imaging technique to observe metabolic processes in the body as an aid to the diagnosis of diseases. According to Xie Qingguo, the lead researcher, the medical device works with two scanners: the CT provides anatomical position information, while the PET provides molecular information.

"Compared with other medical imaging methods, it can help provide more accurate information in early detection and treatment of cancer and brain diseases," Xie said.

It detected metastatic cancer tumors that conventional methods failed to identify in patients who participated in the clinical trial, helping them get early treatment.

In the past, China was just a follower in developing such PET scanners which were monopolized by foreign companies.

But the digital medical equipment is a breakthrough. "From key materials, core components to system machines, they were all the result of China's innovation," said Xiao Peng, a member of the research team.

According to researchers, the high-end digital medical equipment has been granted several patents and will enter mass production soon to help more people deal with diseases.