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The article explores the issue of radioisotope deficits in nuclear medicine in Canada. It notes that the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) announced that the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor was out of service due to the detection of a water leakage in the containment vessel. It mentions that the announcement threatened the provision of nuclear medicine studies because molybdenum was primarily produced at the NRU reactor. Moreover, it presents suggested solutions for the problem.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) results on patient management from a single Canadian oncology center during its first 2 years of operation. Methods: A total of 3,779 consecutive patients, 18 years of age and older, who were referred for PET-CT imaging at the British Columbia Cancer Agency between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2007, were included in this analysis. Results were tabulated from a standard questionnaire, which was given to referring physicians following completion of their patient's PET-CT study. Results: From July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2007, 3,779 consecutive fluoro-2-deoxyglucose PET-CT examinations were performed in patients aged 18 years or older. A total of 3,429 referring-physician surveys (90.7%) were returned. The results of the PET-CT study resulted in a change in treatment decision in 49.8% of the studies and resulted in improved decision making in 83.2% of the studies. Conclusion: This series demonstrated that the results from PET-CT studies performed at a single Canadian oncology center during the first 2 years of its operation altered patient management in 50% of cases and resulted in improved decision making in the majority of cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Post-radiotherapy nasopharyngeal changes represent a diagnostic dilemma. Early detection of persistent or recurrent disease may be translated to better cure rate if salvage therapy is implemented. Neither clinical exam nor current radiological anatomical studies (CT/MRI) can differentiate between benign post therapy changes and recurrence. PET scan is a functional study capable of identifying viable tumors as areas of increased radiotracer uptake., Methods: Fifty-five patients underwent 18-FDG PET scans post radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. We compared the 18-FDG PET scan with the clinical, radiological and pathological findings., Results: Clinical examination and CT of the head and neck showed post-treatment abnormality in the nasopharynx in 40 patients. Among these, 28 patients had asymmetry in the CT scan. Three out of the 28 patients had positive PET scan. Out of the 12 patients with positive primary disease in the CT scan, 3 had negative PET scan which was also confirmed by biopsy in 2 patients. Eleven patients had positive PET scan in the primary site; this was pathologically confirmed to be recurrent disease in 5 patients. In 2 patients repeat PET scan was converted to negative. The remaining 4 patients did not have biopsy due to the presence of concurrent distant disease. None of the patients with negative PET scan in the neck exhibit recurrence or persistent neck disease to the day of reporting the study. PET scan showed persistent higher sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values at both the primary site and the neck region than the CT did., Conclusion: PET scan is a useful tool in differentiating between post radiotherapy fibrosis and recurrent nasopharyngeal cancer., Key Words: Nasopharyngeal cancer - FDG/PET - Post therapy changes.