Siemens 2012 Annual Report Download - page 27

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The question now is: does Christian’s pancreas still contain tumor cells? And if so, how
active are they? In their examinations, the Tübingen cancer specialists never lose sight
of Christian’s particular situation. “Children aren’t just small versions of adults. That
means we have to consider a wide range of factors when evaluating their symptoms
and deter mining the length of their examinations,” says Christian’s doctor, Professor
Dr. Jürgen Schäfer.
For Christian, the past year has been an anxious one, full of uncertainty. “I often wondered
if the tumor was getting larger or smaller,” he says. “If it was smaller, that was good, of
course, and a sign the chemo was working. That motivated me to keep fighting.” But he
wasn’t going to give up anyway. After the first shock, Christian promised himself he’d stay
optimistic no matter what. Fortunately, the examination results boosted his confidence.
The images from the Biograph mMR showed the radiologist both how the tumor’s size
had changed during treatment and how its metabolism was developing – key indicators
of its activity.
Today, the young patient has a very important appointment: together with his mother
and sister, he’s come to Tübingen University Hospital to find out if his cancer treatment
has been effective. In his patterned hospital gown, Christian lies down on a table in the
examining room before entering the Biograph mMR scanner once again.
  – Professor Dr. Jürgen
Schäfer and Christian discuss the
upcoming examination in the
Siemens Biograph mMR. It will
show if the tumor is still active.
 – Christian with his mother
and sister on the way to the exam-
ination at Tübingen University
Hospital.