Battle against cancer

Dubai : Cancer diagnosis in the UAE received a boost yesterday with the launch of a Dh80-million facility to manufacture a crucial injection for patients undergoing the PET or Positron Emission Tomography scan.

The injection, which was being imported earlier, posed a challenge as it has a shelf life of just 10 hours. It will now be manufactured at a factory in Dubai, a joint venture between the Al Mulla Group and Monrol UAE, a Dubai Health Authority (DHA) spokesperson said.

The facility was inaugurated by Qadi Saeed Al Murooshid, Director-General, DHA.

The flurodeoxglucose (FDG) injection is radioactive and is required for the PET scan, which is more advanced than regular scans and ensures early detection of cancer and its recurrence as well. It also helps identify if the treatment given is working within the first cycle of chemotherapy.