For Immediate Release June 6, 2001

Vancouver to Host Canada's First Clinical P.E.T. Conference

International experts review P.E.T. technology for managing cancer treatments

Vancouver, B.C. -- The B.C. Cancer Agency and International P.E.T. Diagnostics Inc. (IPET) are hosting the first Canadian conference on cancer diagnosis using Positron Emission Tomography (P.E.T.) in Vancouver. The conference on June 11 will play a pivotal role in the regulation and reimbursement of P.E.T., as well as its clinical application in the Canadian health care.

"This conference will provide an opportunity to assess how the recent local availability of P.E.T. diagnosis has influenced the practice of clinical oncology in B.C.," said Dr. Simon Sutcliffe, President of the B.C. Cancer Agency.

P.E.T. scans are largely used in the diagnosis of specific cancer sites--but also serve to identify dysfunctions within the brain and heart--to identify metabolic changes and body chemistry which are more precise and revealing than images through the use of X-Rays, CT or MRI scans.

"The conference will validate using P.E.T. in clinical oncology, and will help define the application of this technology in Canada's health system," said Denis Tusar, President of IPET.

P.E.T. scan technology has transcended the research/clinical interface and is now being recognized as a critical component in the management of patient care. Local and international experts in P.E.T. diagnostics will share findings to verify and validate evidence on the value of P.E.T. in oncology practices. Nuclear medicine clinicians use P.E.T. scan images as a diagnostic tool to identify metabolic abnormalities in the body.

The conference will be held at the Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Simon Fraser University (Downtown Campus), on June 11, 2001 from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm.