QT Instruments is a medical technology and instrument distributor specializing in nuclear science. Owned by Biomedia, the company has been providing turnkey solutions to hospitals, clinics and laboratories since 1994. As industry experts, the company takes care in supplying not just the latest technologies, but more importantly, products that are safe, economical and easy to use. Dedicated to client success, QT Instruments offers value-adding products backed by end-to-end customer support.1
With an established presence in the radiology and diagnostic imaging department, we are proud to announce the company will be supplying the Fusion Bx 2.0 to practices across Singapore and Malaysia. This addition will complement their current theranostic solution for precision therapeutics. Prostate cancer rates vary greatly across Asia, but there is a common thread between GDP, diagnoses and mortality. Generally, countries with a lower GDP, like Malaysia, have a lower incidence rate (10.8/100 000), but a significantly higher mortality-to-incidence ratio (0.42).2,3 This makes sense, since the majority of cases are stage IV at diagnosis. In other countries, like Singapore, the opposite is seen; more cases (35.1/100 000) with few deaths to incidences (0.16) and only 32% show metastatic stage IV.4 In both countries, most diagnoses were symptom driven, which could be a reflection of public awareness and/or screening practices.
As the financial costs associated with diagnosis and treatment are often shared, late stage cancer presents a real challenge for patients and healthcare systems. In Malaysia, it can be so costly, that many men choose active surveillance or forego treatment altogether.2 Early detection plays a pivotal role in cancer control strategies. When caught early, prostate cancer is very treatable, but once metastasized, the survival rate drops to nearly 30%. Although public awareness campaigns are growing, they aren’t necessarily improving screening rates.
Recently, the Singapore Society of Oncology (SSO) initiated that the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) guidelines on prostate cancer be adapted to the Asian population. With experts from Singapore, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Taiwan, the consensus established protocols for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of prostate cancer. The recommendations include early PSA testing for at-risk men, performing mpMRI before biopsy and taking the transperineal route over transrectal.5
The Fusion Bx can help physicians implement SSO guidelines, while delivering diagnoses faster with MRI-targeted fusion biopsies. A pre-biopsy MRI characterizes the tumors, if any, and provides an action plan for biopsy/ treatment. With unrestricted range of motion and hands-free support, the Fusion Bx allows physicians to perform traditional or freehand transperineal biopsies without the need for additional assistance. Targeting the cancer with pinpoint accuracy reduces unnecessary biopsies and overtreatment, ultimately providing the right care to the right patient. Contact the team at QT Instruments, where they can help you succeed with the Fusion Bx.
1 Biomedia. (2022). https://www.biomediaholdings.com/
2 Lim, J., Malek, R., S., Toh, C. J., Sundram, M., Woo, S., Yusoff, N. a. M., Teh, G. C., Chui, B. J. T., Ngu, I. S., Thevarajah, S., Koh, W. C. A., Lee, S. W., Khoo, S. C., Teoh, B., Zainal, R., Tham, T. M., Omar, S., Nasuha, N. A., . . . Study, M. (2021). Prostate cancer in multi-ethnic Asian men: Real-world experience in the Malaysia Prostate Cancer (M-CaP) Study. Cancer Medicine, 10(22), 8020–8028. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.4319
3 Lee, J. H., Taniguchi, T., Zhang, K., Ng, C., Hakim, L., Umbas, R., Kim, C., Chung, B. H., Kim, W., Ong, T. A., Lim, J., & Akaza, H. (2019). Report of the forth Asian Prostate Cancer (A-CaP) study meeting. Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology. https://doi.org/10.1093/jjco/hyz053
4 Singapore Cancer Registry, Health Promotion Board. (2022). Singapore Cancer Registry Annual Report 2020. National Registry of Diseases Office. https://nrdo.gov.sg/docs/librariesprovider3/default-document-library/scr-2020-annual-report_web-release.pdf?sfvrsn=e0a73b99_0
5 Kanesvaran, R., Castro, E., Wong, A., Fizazi, K., Chua, M., Zhu, Y., Malhotra, H., Miura, Y., Lee, J., Chong, F., Pu, Y. S., Yen, C. C., Saad, M., Lee, H., Kitamura, H., Prabhash, K., Zou, Q., Curigliano, G., Poon, E., . . . Pentheroudakis, G. (2022). Pan-Asian adapted ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with prostate cancer. ESMO Open, 7(4), 100518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esmoop.2022.100518