The technology is not very common in Canada. One of Dr. Alavi's trainees, Canadian physician Dr. Fran ois B nard, recently joined a new clinical PET centre in Sherbrooke, Que., that focuses on oncology. Other research centres, which focus primarily on the brain, are located in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Hamilton. Dr. Alavi expressed surprise that PET units aren't proliferating in major cities here, but noted that a lot of political manoeuvring is required to make this a reality. Following direction by Congress, there will now be reimbursement for PET imaging for lung cancer and lung nodules.
Insurance companies pay for a variety of other indications.
Dr. Alavi maintains that PET is cost-effective. They should realize there is a technology that is very important for the management of their patients that they are not aware of. The University of Pennsylvania conducted the first human study using PET imaging in 1976. Since then pioneering work in the application of the technology has taken place around the world until the early 1990s, said Dr. Alavi. Since then we've realized you can't keep this in the closet for too long as a research tool.