[Nuclear medicine equipment and PET cameras in Greece and abroad].
TO THE EDITOR: Referring to recent discussions among many of our colleagues in Greece and to what Greek newspapers write about programming to buy more SPET and PET cameras in Greece and also relating to the usefulness of the PET camera, I would like to mention the number of PET cameras now functioning in many European countries and the important contribution of this new camera in diagnostic nuclear medicine. About 40% of the papers presented at the European Association of Nuclear Medicine Scientific Meeting last year, referred to studies performed by PET camera. In oncology, the PET camera may increase the diagnostic efficacy of SPET camera studies by about 30%. Unfortunately the PET camera is not used for all nuclear medicine applications and not all insurance companies agree to pay in full the cost of diagnostic procedures performed by the PET camera. Nuclear Medicine Societies of Greece should strongly suggest to the Ministries of Health and Education to provide public and especially university hospitals with a reasonable number of PET cameras. Also more SPET cameras should be bought to reach a ratio of at least one SPET camera per 100,000 inhabitants.
Hadjipavlidou
Vasiliki
V