Innovation : GE
Early Health is focused on enabling earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment of disease, so that people live longer and lead more productive, fulfilling lives.
GE's approach to improving cancer care is to provide solutions for many steps along the cancer patient's journey. Our contribution starts with early detection.
An "Early Health" model has the potential to nearly double the survival rates from cardiac disease.
When it comes to health, we believe in the saying "the sooner the better." That's the foundation for Early Health, GE Healthcare's vision to transform healthcare by focusing on early diagnosis and prevention instead of late treatment. Because by taking the initiative to understand the causes and progression of disease — and how to catch it at its earliest possible stage — we believe, one day, it could be avoided altogether.
40% of cancers can be prevented. — World Health Organization
Cancer is a disease that can affect everyone — across all demographics and all geographic regions. And it's one where the impact of Early Health can be most greatly felt.
Today there exist advanced technologies to detect cancer earlier and treat it more effectively. However, when it comes to prevention, the bulk of the responsibility still rests with the individual.
So where can you begin?
"Cancer is the most preventable and curable of life-threatening diseases facing us today." — Dr. John Seffrin, American Cancer Society
About 30% of cancers in developed countries are related to issues of diet and nutrition, including obesity. The figure is around 20% in developing countries and is projected to grow" — World Health Organization
Essentially, how you live and what you eat plays an increasing role in your risk of developing cancer. This means by maintaining a healthy weight, limiting fat intake and watching your alcohol consumption, you can go a long way in helping to reduce your risk.
When cancer is discovered early, treatment can be more successful. In women over the age of 40, mammography remains the gold standard as an early screening tool for breast cancer. New digital mammograms can produce detailed images of the breasts on a computer screen, rather than on film, which is particularly effective in seeing abnormalities hidden in women with denser breasts.
"Advances in medical imaging are revolutionizing the way we diagnose, treat and manage breast cancer." —Dr. Nick Perry London Breast Institute
When it comes to accurate cancer diagnosis and treatment monitoring, doctors can depend on PET/CT, an advanced imaging technology that combines the power of PET and CT. It provides doctors with the data necessary to make a confident cancer diagnosis and potentially reduces the number of scans needed.
"Cancer will not be cured overnight but at GE we promise to work tirelessly to help patients and their families fight and survive the disease." — Joe Hogan President & CEO, GE Healthcare
PET (positron emission tomography) provides information about the body's chemistry, metabolic activity and body function, while CT (computed tomography) supplies the anatomic images that put this information in context.
When applied to cancer patients, PET/CT not only helps determine whether a patient has cancer — but it also determines where the cancer is, if there are multiple tumors, if and where the cancer is spreading, and what stage it's in. PET/CT also lets doctors establish very quickly if a tumor is responding to a specific course of treatment.
80% of premature deaths caused by heart attacks and strokes are preventable.
— World Health Organization
Cardiovascular disease is the number one global cause of death for men and women — and it's also one of the most preventable.
Today we know enough about the contributing causes of heart disease to protect ourselves against it. Yet current trends suggest the number of people who are at risk for heart disease will continue to rise in the future.
So what can you do?
In many cases for both men and women, the first symptom of heart disease can be a fatal heart attack.
To catch heart disease early, it's important to be aware of your risks and regularly screen for indicators, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and work to keep them on target for your age group.
Depending on your history and symptoms, your doctor might also recommend other tests too, including an ECG stress test, blood work, or an in-office ultrasound of the carotid artery in the neck. These tests can all act as windows into determining your potential risk for heart attack and stroke.
A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is obstructed, caused by a narrowing or bursting of the blood vessels, or a clot that moves to the brain. Each year, it's estimated that 15 million people worldwide suffer a stroke.
Rapid access to brain imaging and early treatment has huge benefits for many stroke victims. Technologies such as CT, MR and ultrasound help doctors build an accurate picture of the damaged brain and start treatment as quickly as possible.
"Getting proper, early treatment can mean the difference between long-term paralysis or walking out of hospital a few days after your stroke." — Professor Roger Boyle, Department of Health, UK
In cardiovascular disease, being able to accurately assess an individual's risk level and identify disease progression early is key.
For patients showing certain symptoms, doctors rely on advanced imaging technologies such as CT that can form a comprehensive 3D view of the heart to identify disease before heart attack strikes.
A CT machine creates credit card-thin images of your body as it rotates, much like slices of bread from a whole loaf. These images are then combined to form a 3D view of the anatomy.
When used specifically for the heart, CT is capable of providing detail-rich and precise images that enable even minor blockages inside arteries to be detected.
Since 2006, GE Healthcare has played moderator to the growing dialogue surrounding Early Health.
Starting with our first Media Summit in London, we have been traveling the globe asking questions about emerging healthcare trends and innovations, and the challenges related to the transformation of global healthcare.
Early Health addresses many of the current healthcare challenges facing societies by advocating for a broader, more efficient healthcare model. It invests in early diagnostic tools, implements modern IT systems to manage and deliver information, and introduces treatment earlier, so therapy can be more precise.
The Middle East is experiencing a period of significant population growth and urbanization, causing unprecedented demand on its healthcare infrastructure, technology and expertise. By shifting the focus to Early Health, the region will be better able to manage rising trends in obesity, diabetes and stress.
This was the question GE Healthcare posed to leading U.S.-based cardiologists, radiologists, oncologists and patient advocacy leaders. Their responses included harnessing the power of IT to predict disease earlier, and furthering the convergence of life sciences, digitization and diagnostics to more effectively identify and monitor disease.
In a growing Europe, societies are experiencing the rising costs of healthcare, triggering the shift from late treatment of disease to early diagnosis and prevention. Here, it's believed that one of the best ways to implement Early Health strategies is by starting at childhood, a time when people develop the lifestyle habits that can shape their future health.
In India, there is a widening divide between healthcare access in rural and urban areas. So the challenge for Early Health is one of distribution. Not only is it crucial to reach the masses in India, the technologies they are equipped with must be affordable and effective too.
Even the fittest athletes experience health issues like musculoskeletal injuries and heart disease. However, the way they manage these issues is vastly different. By understanding how Olympic athletes train their bodies and take precautions to prevent long-term damage, we can apply the same knowledge to help consumers worldwide.
It’s never too early to start looking after your health. And it’s also never too late to begin.
Learn more about Early Health and GE Healthcare’s advanced diagnostic technologies.
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