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St James's Institute of Oncology, part of St James's University Hospital in Leeds, has recently installed an Avanto MRI from Siemens into its new £220m Bexley Wing.

St James's Institute of Oncology, part of St James's University Hospital in Leeds, has recently installed an Avanto MRI from Siemens into its new £220m Bexley Wing. The institute is an important national centre for diagnosis, treatment and care in oncology. The centre also uses CT, X-ray and ultrasound systems from Siemens to assist in the diagnosis of patients at what is set to become one of the largest specialist cancer treatment centres in Europe.

The MAGNETOM Avanto 1.5T MRI is one of the first T class systems to be installed in the UK and provides a high level of image quality, ideal for detailed inspection of tissue structures in oncology screening. It is also designed to ensure the optimum patient comfort, reducing anxiety with an inviting design and low table position. Its wide bore enables feet-first examinations for nearly all MR procedures to create a more relaxed scanning environment for patients and provide better results for diagnosis.

The Avanto system is joined by a Siemens MAGNETOM Symphony 1.5T MRI. This was originally installed at Cookridge Hospital but was brought over to the Bexley Wing as part of a phased transfer of services following the completion of the new cancer centre. The combined benefits of the two MRI scanners have enabled radiographers to operate a dual control area, maximising scanning sessions and allowing clinicians to allocate individual patients to the Avanto and the Symphony according to their particular requirements.

"The top-of-the-range MAGNETOM Avanto has given us endless possibilities for MR imaging," said Daina Dambitis, Principal Superintendent MRI, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. "It has not only enabled us to maximise our patient throughput, but we can now also look to expand our range of imaging techniques. Coupled with the installation of the MAGNETOM Symphony from Cookridge Hospital, we now have an ideal pair of systems for back-to-back MRI."

"The new Institute of Oncology at the Bexley Wing will provide state-of-the-art cancer treatment," said Neil Lincoln, Regional Sales Manager at Siemens. "Siemens is delighted to provide the new centre with a range of highly functional oncology solutions that will not only improve diagnostic confidence, but also provide a high standard of comfort to patients."