Huntsman Cancer Institute introduces first Angio-CT in the Mountain West

SALT LAKE CITY — A new piece of technology at Huntsman Cancer Institute is changing the way doctors diagnose and treat cancer — combining two procedures into one.

The new Angio-CT machine is the first of its kind in the Mountain West. It allows doctors to perform an angiogram — which looks at blood vessels using X-rays — and a CT scan, which creates detailed images of the body, in the same setting.

"This technology has a lot of advantages, and I think it will help improve cancer care," said Dr. Ziga Cizman, an interventional radiologist at Huntsman Cancer Institute.

Cizman said that while the two machines were previously in different rooms, both procedures can now be done in a single visit — in one location, under a single sedation.

"It also simplifies the workflow. It's much safer to do it in a single session as opposed to having to do it in two sessions or transport the patient," he said.

Before this, patients sometimes traveled long distances for multiple appointments, like Mary Wyatt from Ruby Valley, Nevada.

Wyatt has been going to Huntsman for years to be treated for a rare type of sarcoma.

"It definitely would have cut down our mileage a lot," Wyatt said, who has had several separate angiograms and CT scans. "If they got a better tool that's easier on them and their patients, I'm glad they got this new technology."

Huntsman Cancer Institute will start serving patients with this new technology on Tuesday.

Related topics