As a result of the decision of the University of British Columbia to demolish the building in which the PETSCAN Centre was situated, the PETSCAN Centre has ceased operations. The Company wishes to thank all those doctors and others who, for over seven years, supported the pioneering efforts of the Company to make PET technology available to cancer patients in British Columbia and elsewhere in Canada. A new Diagnostic Imaging Centre for early detection of disease, which will include a PET/CT scanner, is planned to open in the Lower Mainland soon. Go to premierdiagnostics.ca for more info as it becomes available.

What is PET?

Positron Emission Tomography or PET is the most advanced medical diagnostic imaging technology available today for the early and accurate detection of cancer and its recurrence. It also provides valuable information regarding certain diseases of the heart (e.g., determination of tissue viability) and brain (e.g., dementia, Parkinson’s disease).

The development of PET imaging is a success story. You may have never heard of PET before, or have just recently become aware of it, but PET has been investigated for more than 30 years. Until recently, just a few institutions had access to this powerful diagnostic tool, but in the last 15 years, the number of PET centres in the U.S. has risen from less than 20 to over 500, with over 750 scanners in use internationally. This expansion is due in part to technological improvements and is expected to continue.

In addition to the technology expanding, over the years the tool itself has become more mainstream. Clinical trials have now demonstrated the utility of this modality, moving it from the research environment to the clinic over the last decade. The unique, functional information that PET provides is becoming essential to physicians in making decisions regarding future patient care and treatment.

The Vancouver PETSCAN Centre provided imaging services, diagnostics, and clinical research in the use of PET. We were located at the BC Research & Innovation Complex at the University of British Columbia. The Centre used a Siemens ECAT EXACT 47 scanner, the most widely used scanner in PET facilities around the world. The Centre also had a state-of-the-art laboratory for the production of radiotracers.

The Vancouver PETSCAN Centre was the first in Canada, with the goal of establishing PETSCAN Centres in other metropolitan areas of Canada including Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary.

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What is a PET Scan?

A whole-body PET scan provides information about the body’s chemistry and cell function (metabolism) rather than pictures of the body’s anatomy or structure as shown by X-ray, ultrasound, CT scans, or MRI. As a result, PET scans may reveal abnormalities or tumours that would otherwise go undetected. In more situations than with any other imaging modality, a PET scan is key to the early detection and accurate treatment of cancer.

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The Benefits of PET

• Often replaces multiple medical testing procedures with a single exam, while producing imaging information of superior quality.
• May validate and/or alter patient management and care.
• May reduce or eliminate ineffective and unnecessary surgical or other medical treatments and hospitalization.
• May reduce significantly overall healthcare costs and avoids needless pain to the patient.
• It is done in about two hours and provides interpretation virtually immediately.

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Benefits in Oncology

• Detects tumours early and accurately.
• Assesses tumour aggressiveness and monitors success of therapy.
• Determines whether a suspicious site is benign or malignant.
• Scans the whole body for detecting spread of cancer (metastasis).

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