Background: Using PET Scans
Accuracy in the diagnosis of cancer, determination of stage and progression of disease is essential for enabling clinicians to plan the effective treatment and management of cancer patients.
Standard diagnostic techniques including computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provide information about anatomical structures.
The introduction of positron emission tomography (PET) has provided clinicians with a significant new imaging tool for some cancers as it can reveal and quantify the biochemical and/or physiological function of a tumour. Functional changes caused by a disease such as cancer are often detectable by PET before any structural abnormalities become evident on a CT scan or MRI. This can be particularly useful in detecting whether a cancer is still metabolically active after treatment or whether it is residual scar tissue or an abnormality that does not contain a tumour, such as atelectasis.
More recently, the integrated PET/CT scanners allow the clinician to view the structural or anatomical image of the CT overlaid with the functional image of the PET, improving the localisation of the active tumour sites.
The major tumour streams where PET scans are currently recommended include colorectal, head and neck, lung and upper gastro-intestinal tumours.
In the future PET may be recommended for other cancer types.
Improving Services In The HUME Region
With no PET scanner currently located in the Hume Regional Integrated Cancer Service (RICS), patients are required to travel to Melbourne for their PET scans.
A range of clinicians from NEMICS and Hume RICS have identified the need for regional clinicians to have improved access to:
- the latest evidence-based information regarding the use and interpretation of PET scans,
- timely and efficient provision of electronic PET scan images
- interpretation and expertise in PET at regional cancer multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTM).
This project is being undertaken from October 2009 to February 2011 and aims to ensure that regional clinicians and patients have access to the best available information, technologies and skills relating to PET in order to improve cancer treatment outcomes.
Project Objectives
This project will:
- Provide professional development to build sustainable capacity amongst a group of Hume regional clinicians with activities such as:
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Integrate the expertise of a nuclear medical physician from the Centre for PET into a Hume regional cancer MDM.
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Establish a model for efficient access to PET scans produced by the Centre for PET. For some key regional cancer service providers in Hume RICS.
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Develop information for patients to assist them in areas of need that they identify. This may include: costs of PET, travel requirements, understanding PET technology, its indications, what to expect when undergoing a scan and the basics of what they can see on their CD.
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Develop systems and relationships that will support possible future development of PET scan services and usage in regional areas.
The PET Scan Project Steering Committee
The PET Scan Project Steering Committee is currently Katherine Simons (Manager, NEMICS), Dr Richard Eek (Medical Oncologist, Border Medical Oncology), Chris Packer (Manager, Hume RICS), Raja Jamble (Hume Consumer), Prof Andrew Scott (Director, Centre for PET), Prof Chris Hamilton (Director, Radiation Oncology, Austin Health), Assoc Prof Paul Mitchell (Director, Austin Health Cancer Services and Director, NEMICS).
For Further Information
Should you wish to find out more about this project, please contact the Project Coordinator, John Lawrence at NEMICS on 9496 3712.