Overlook Medical Center becomes first in New Jersey to use advanced tumor imaging system
SUMMIT, N.J. (Union County) — Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center has become the first hospital in New Jersey to install and use GE HealthCare’s StarGuide SPECT/CT system, an advanced imaging platform designed to help physicians detect and evaluate tumors and other conditions with greater precision.
Hospital officials said the system provides high-quality, three-dimensional images that allow radiologists and surgeons to identify the size, shape and location of lesions in the body while reducing scan times for patients.
“The StarGuide system offers us more than just a step up in imaging – it is a completely new tool that now allows us to guide decision-making and support procedures we couldn’t do before,” said diagnostic and nuclear radiologist James Cassuto, MD, the Associate System Medical Director of Nuclear Medicine for Atlantic Medical Group and Section Chief of Nuclear Medicine at Atlantic Health Overlook Medical Center.
According to Atlantic Health, the system uses digital detectors that can be positioned close to a patient’s body and from multiple angles, producing detailed images that support diagnosis and treatment planning.
Hospital officials said the technology will play a key role in theranostics, a growing field of medicine that combines diagnostic imaging with targeted therapies to personalize cancer treatment and monitor patient response.
In addition to cancer care, the StarGuide system will support clinical decision-making in pulmonology and neurology, including conditions such as cystic fibrosis and asthma, as well as procedures involving Zephyr valve placement.
Nuclear medicine uses radioactive tracers and specialized imaging equipment to help physicians identify and diagnose diseases. Atlantic Health officials said improved image quality can help doctors make more accurate assessments and treatment decisions.
The hospital said the StarGuide system’s faster scanning times may also improve patient comfort by reducing the amount of time patients must remain still during imaging exams.
For more information about theranostics or nuclear medicine services at Atlantic Health, patients may call 908-522-2067.
