Ontario MPPs debated onThursday Elizabeth Witmer's resolution calling on the government to increase access to position emission tomography (PET) scans. The PET scanner tracks a tracer called fluorodeoxyglucose that's been injected in the bloodstream. It's particularly useful for finding out how much a cancer has spread.
The Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine and Ontario
Association of Nuclear Medicine support the resolution put
forward by Witmer, the PC health critic.
 
Dr. Jean-Luc Urbain, president of the Canadian Association of
Nuclear Medicine, said, "If I was a cancer patient, I would
definitely scream for this technology that will let you know if
you're a candidate for surgery, whether to remove your tumor,
whether you need surgery plus radiation or if you need
chemotherapy."
In contrast to other jurisdictions, Ontario strictly limits access to publicly-funded PET scanners. However, patients can obtain a scan privately for about $2,400 through private clinics both in Canada and the U.S.
In all the developed countries in the world except Canada, PET scanning is used routinely for the diagnosis and management of patients with cancer, Urbain said. "In those countries, it is considered as unethical and malpractice not to recommend this procedure."
OANM President Dr. Christopher O'Brien said patients in Ottawa are denied access to PET scans while patients with the same cancer across the river in Gatineau have access to them. "Access to modern diagnostic procedures should not be based on postal codes. It is time to bring Ontario into the 21st century."
The PET Registry Program, which began in December 2005, had enrolled 1,077 patients by November 2007 or around 500 patients a year. However, the OANM believes the centres should have been able to help at least 12,000 patients during the same period.
Sudbury cancer patient Sam Bruno said his dying wish is to see the McGuinty government take Witmer's resolution seriously. "As a cancer patient, I've been extremely frustrated and disappointed with this government's flagrant nonsense and pretence with its continuous PET scan trials. Anyone with even an ounce of common sense would agree that access to funded PET scans needs to be an integral part of our provincial health plan."
Quick facts:
- In April, Ontario Ombudsman, André Marin served the Ministry
of Health and Long-Term Care notice of his investigation into
complaints regarding restricted and unequal access to PET
scans.
- According to OANM, a single PET centre in Manitoba helps more
patients each year than the entire Ontario PET Registry
Program.
- The Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada has specified that in
2006 for every 30 cancer patients investigated with a PET scan
in Quebec, only one patient was scanned in Ontario.
- Data released by the U.S. National Oncologic PET Registry
showed that  38 per cent of patients had their management
changed to a more appropriate therapy as a result of their PET
scan findings.
