Australian Government - Department of Health and Ageing

Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC)

Reference 2

Positron emission tomography (PET)

Reference No.

2

Reference NamePositron emission tomography (PET)
Advisory PanelDr Richard King
(Chair and MSAC member)
Professor Brendon Kearney
(MSAC member)
Dr Michael Kitchener
(MSAC member)
Dr John Primrose
(Medical Advisor to the MSAC)
Associate Professor Rodney Hicks
(Australian and New Zealand Association of Physicians in Nuclear Medicine nominee)
Dr Ken Miles
(Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists nominee)
Associate Professor Andrew Scott
(Australian and New Zealand Association of Physicians in Nuclear Medicine nominee)
Associate Professor Michael Fulham
(Australasian Association of Neurologists nominee)
Professor Robert Thomas
(Royal Australasian College of Surgeons nominee)
Dr Michael Millward
(Royal Australasian College of Physicians nominee)
Associate Professor Richmond Jeremy
(Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand nominee)
Date Received by MSAC Secretariat1 August 1999
Stage 1 - EligibilityEligible
Stage 2 - AssessmentCompleted
Stage 3 - Formulation of Advice to the MinisterThis assessment was considered by the MSAC at the 17 November 1999 meeting.

The MSAC concludes that:

- there is insufficient evidence at this time from which to draw definitive conclusions about the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of (FDG) PET

- in most indications (FDG) PET is used in addition to other diagnostic modalities. This was the case in the diagnostic algorithm used for the current assessment

- in terms of adverse patient reaction to administration of FDG, FDG PET is safe; and

- further evaluation of the technology is necessary

The MSAC recommends that interim funding be made available for the approved indication, subject to the provision of data. The MSAC recommends that individual FDG PET facilities' access the interim funding be dependent on those facilities' collection of data relating to FDG PET's clinical and/or cost-effectiveness and the provision of that data to a central coordinating body. Data collection should occur within the MSAC-approved prospectively-designed studies that are capable of providing evidence to enable more long-term decisions to be made on the role of FDG PET in Australian clinical practice.
Stage 4 - DecisionEndorsed by the Minister for Health and Ageing 31 August 2000
Stage 5 - ImplementationImplemented
The following disclaimer is inserted at the request of Professor Rodney Hicks: The primary conclusion in the reports arising out of the 2000 Review of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) undertaken by the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) does not reflect the opinion of Professor Rodney Hicks and he also disputes many of the interpretations regarding the clinical and cost-effectiveness of this technology made in the body of these reports.