[Greens-Media] PET scan delay costs lives

[Hollo, Tim (Sen C. Milne)]

PET scan delay costs lives

Hobart, Tuesday July 10, 2007  Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne
today called on Federal Health Minister, Tony Abbott, to immediately
make PET scans available on the Medicare schedule, and for State
Governments to immediately fund PET scanners for their major public
hospitals across Australia, in order to save lives and ensure more
targeted and effective treatment for cancer patients.

Senator Milne said "The scientific evidence has been clear since 2000
that PET scans are safe and clinically effective. The Medical Science
Advisory Committee report on Positron Emission Tomography that says
otherwise should be withdrawn, now that it has been revealed that the
findings of the medical expert supporting committee were altered.

"It is clear that expert evidence was altered in 2000, without the
consent of the medical experts involved, to insert the word
'potentially' before 'clinically effective'. This scandalous act has
meant that cancer patients across Australia have been denied access to a
technology that would have ensured them better and more targeted
treatment.

"The Federal Government used this falsely created scientific uncertainty
as an excuse not to pay for PET scans to be made available for all
cancer patients across Australia. Instead, only those in a very
restricted category, or who could afford to pay for the scans
themselves, and were lucky enough to get access to one of the few
machines in major metropolitan hospitals, have been able to reap the
benefits.

"State governments have also refused to fund PET scanners in their
public hospitals because of the supposed uncertainty about their
clinical effectiveness. This decision must be reversed immediately.

"PET scans save lives and money by ensuring targeted and effective
treatment for cancer patients, avoiding expensive and traumatic
treatments that a PET scan may have revealed to be unnecessary.

"Tony Abbott and his state counterparts do not need to wait for yet more
evidence when every day's delay is a day which could cost the lives of
Australian cancer patients, or lead to costly but unnecessary and
ineffective treatment.

"Australians in rural and regional areas have suffered
disproportionately, as major metropolitan hospitals have been able to
afford the machines. There is not one single PET scanner in Tasmania,
and very few in regional and rural Australia."

Dr Rob Ware, a nuclear medicine specialist who has been working for 7
years to ensure access to PET scans, is available for comment today on
0409 228 012.

Contact Tim Hollo on 0437 587 562

Tim Hollo
Media and Communications Adviser
Senator Christine Milne
Phone: + 61 (0) 2 6277 3063
Mobile: + 61 (0) 437 587 562
Email: tim.hollo at aph.gov.au
Skype: timhollo
Website: www.christinemilne.org.au