Positron emission tomography in Québec

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a non-invasive medical imaging technology. Unlike most other medical imaging technologies, which provide mainly anatomical information, PET makes it possible to track metabolic activity in the tissues and to locate lesions.

Originally a research tool, PET in increasingly used in clinical settings, and most public and private health insurers are looking into reimbursing patients who receive PET scans.

With this in mind, the Fédération des médecins spécialiste du Québec (FMSQ) and the Conseil québecois de lute contre le cancer (CQLC) asked the Agence d’évaluation des technologies et des modes d’intervention en santé (AÉTMIS, the Québec government agency responsible for the health services and technoilogy assessment), to access the value of introducing PET for clinical use in the province, which already has two PET facilities, mainly devoted to research.

AÉTMIS discovered that, while the list of clinical applications of PET continues to grow, Formal assessments of the technology’s efficacy and cost-effectiveness have been somewhat curtailed by a lack of persuasive data. In spite of these limitations, PET has a number of recognized clinical applications in oncology, neurology and cardiology, with several other potential or unrecognized uses (due to incomplete or non-existent data) in these fields as well.

The data nevertheless appear sufficient to recommend the introduction of PET in Québec for certain clinical applications. A ministerial master plan should be developed to supervise deployment of the technology, taking into account the clinical needs of public and specialized human and material resources required. Furthermore, deployment should be accompanied by research, training and testing activities, and should be carried out in close collaboration with universities and university hospital centres.