Prostate cancer remains the most common cause of cancer death in men worldwide despite many studies proving that early detection significantly reduces mortality. Australia has emerged a world leader in early prostate cancer detection and research and Australian men are very fortunate to have access to the latest advances in prostate cancer imaging via our Medicare system.
November is Men’s Health Awareness Month, a reminder for men to take proactive steps in managing all aspects of their health including prostate cancer detection and cardiovascular fitness. Noosa Radiology is at the forefront of cutting-edge technology to establish accurate and early diagnosis in critical disease amongst men.
Dr Lisa Tarlinton has recently joined the team at Noosa Radiology. She is one of Australia’s most experienced cancer Radiologists, with a special interest in prostate imaging, particularly the fusion of PSMA PET CT and prostate MRI. She completed her medical degree at UNSW, her Radiology training at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital before undertaking dual fellowship training in PET/CT and body imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York. Until now, she has been working at Sydney Adventist Hospital.
“One of the biggest attractions that drew me to Noosa Radiology was the unique combination of having the latest prostate imaging technology under one roof whilst working for an independent doctor led practice with traditional values of patient care. Noosa Radiology has invested heavily in state of the art Siemens digital prostate imaging equipment that many large tertiary care teaching hospitals would only dream of. Using integrated AI software, I can combine the PET and MRI images to provide the greatest accuracy in the detection and staging of prostate cancer for our local patients” Dr Tarlinton said.
Noosa’s beach lifestyle was obviously also a big drawcard. “I grew up in regional Queensland so its nice to be back home and for my husband and two children to experience the laid back lifestyle and kindness of Queenslanders.
Noosa Radiology received a full Medicare MRI licence on July 1. Many MRI studies, including Prostate MRI, can now be performed with no out of pocket expense for patients. “Both the Siemens Lumina 3T MRI and the Biograph 450 Digital PET/CT are at the forefront on imaging technology. The digital PET / CT platform can pick up lymph node metastases as small as 1 mm. We have also commenced theranostic treatment services for those prostate cancer patients who will benefit. We are the 1st provider of this service on the Sunshine Coast,” Dr Tarlinton said.
Prostate cancer often develops silently, with no obvious symptoms in its early stages. This is why regular screenings are so important for men commencing aged 40-50 depending on their risk.
Noosa Radiology also offers a full range of preventative imaging services including screening for heart disease with CT calcium score and CT Coronary Angiography, dementia with CT, MRI and PET/CT and lung cancer with Chest X-ray and CT, osteoporosis with DEXA. For more information visit www.noosaradiology.com.au or talk to you GP or Specialist.
