Next-generation imaging centre raises the bar in patient care
Published on 22 October 2025
A new facility at NUH is cutting scan times, reducing radiation exposure and enabling more precise cancer detection.
Scans that once took 15 minutes now take less than five – with clearer images, less radiation and faster diagnoses for patients.
At the new Molecular Imaging and Theranostics Centre at the National University Hospital (NUH), patients can expect a faster, easier scan than before.
The next-generation total-body positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) system captures the entire body in a single motion, so they no longer need to pause and reposition several times during the procedure.
The process is quicker, more comfortable and delivers sharper, more detailed images that help doctors detect disease earlier and more accurately.
Developed by NUH and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), the centre brings together advanced clinical imaging and research to improve patient care and support progress in precision medicine. It was officially launched on 16 October 2025 and marks a new chapter in medical imaging and research in Singapore.
Expected to be operational in early November, the total-body PET/CT scanner is housed at the NUH Medical Centre. It can scan up to six patients an hour – twice the capacity of conventional systems – and will serve about 2,900 patients a year.
Sharper images, lower dose
At the heart of the centre is Singapore’s first total-body PET/CT scanner. Unlike earlier machines that capture the body section by section, this system scans the entire body in one continuous pass. It also exposes patients to up to 80 per cent less radiation while delivering clearer, more detailed images.
Its detection sensitivity – the ability to pick up faint signals – is about eight times higher than conventional scanners. This helps doctors spot smaller lesions earlier and track subtle changes in disease progression or treatment response.
How the new PET/CT scanner compares
|
“Total-body PET/CT allows us to capture the whole body in a single bed scan with unmatched clarity,” said Prof Khong Pek Lan, Head and Senior Consultant, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, NUH, and Head, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, NUS Medicine. She is also the Director of the NUS Clinical Imaging Research Centre (CIRC).
“Patients benefit from faster, safer and more precise diagnoses, while our clinicians can harness these insights to explore innovative therapies more effectively,” she added. “This is a step forward in personalised medicine.”
With clearer images obtained from lower radiation doses, the new system also makes repeat scans safer for patients who need close follow-up.
A step towards precision oncology
The centre does more than provide faster scans. It integrates diagnostic imaging, targeted therapies and research in one facility – a model designed to advance a growing area of medicine known as theranostics.
Theranostics combines imaging and therapy in the same platform. First, doctors use a radioactive tracer to locate cancer cells on a scan. The same molecular target is then used to deliver a therapeutic dose of radiation directly to those cells, destroying them while minimising damage to healthy tissue.
The new total-body scanner allows researchers to see how these tracers move through the body in real time. This helps them study how diseases spread, how new drugs behave and how treatment can be tailored to each patient.
Such studies could help refine cancer therapies and improve early detection – particularly for patients with metastatic or hard-to-detect tumours.
What is theranostics? This emerging approach uses the same molecular target to both detect and treat cancer. Doctors first identify cancer cells using a diagnostic tracer, then use a targeted radioactive agent to destroy those same cells – reducing side effects and improving precision. |
Building future standards of care
The Molecular Imaging and Theranostics Centre puts patient care and research under one roof. Doctors and scientists work side by side on real clinical cases. That close collaboration allows teams to test new imaging techniques and treatment approaches more quickly and translate promising findings into clinical use.
Because imaging and trials take place in the same clinical setting, teams can observe how disease changes over time and how patient respond to therapy. These insights will help refine how doctors diagnose and treat cancer.
“Our research focuses on developing new radioactive tracers for cancer. We are constantly looking for new molecular targets so we can design tracers that are more specific and effective in treating the disease,” said Prof Khong.
The centre also strengthens Singapore’s role as a hub for molecular imaging and precision medicine in Asia.
In consultation with Prof Khong Pek Lan, Head and Senior Consultant, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, NUH, and Head, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, NUS Medicine.
