Burjeel Specialty Hospital launches Sharjah’s first PET/CT service bringing advanced cancer care closer to home

Burjeel Specialty Hospital, under the Burjeel Holdings umbrella, has inaugurated Sharjah’s inaugural PET/CT service, enhancing access to cutting-edge cancer diagnostics and tailored treatments closer to home. This integrated Nuclear Medicine Department, a cornerstone of the Burjeel Cancer Institute (BCI), the UAE’s fastest-growing cancer care network, connects advanced molecular imaging with multidisciplinary oncological expertise.

From diagnosis through follow-up, the service streamlines care delivery, ensuring each patient’s unique imaging data directly informs personalized treatment plans.

At the heart of the department lies the GE Discovery IQ PET/CT system, which merges sophisticated PET detector technology with CT imaging and reconstruction prowess. The high-sensitivity detector enables rapid scans with reduced radiation exposure, while Q-Clear reconstruction bolsters image quality and quantitative accuracy. These advanced capabilities empower faster, safer, and more precise cancer detection, staging, and treatment-response assessment—all without the necessity of relocating patients to another emirate.

The integrated care model streamlines diagnostics, ensuring multidisciplinary oncology teams can review results promptly, facilitating timely, coordinated treatment decisions.

Compliant with FANR regulations and international radiation safety standards, the facility prioritizes patient safety and comfort. Dr. Firuz Ibrahim, Head of Nuclear Medicine at Burjeel Specialty Hospital, lauded the service as a vital tool for timely diagnosis, accurate staging, and treatment-response evaluation, consistently maintaining a patient-centric approach.

Beyond imaging, the Sharjah team collaborates closely with BCI Abu Dhabi’s Nuclear Medicine department to offer access to targeted radionuclide therapies, including radioactive iodine, peptide receptor radionuclide, Lutetium-177 PSMA, and selective internal radiation therapies. These treatments, guided by NCCN guidelines and SNMMI/EANM imaging standards, ensure evidence-based, internationally benchmarked care for all patients.