title: PET/CT without capacity limitations: a Danish experience from a European perspective.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We report the 3-year clinical experience of a large new Danish PET/CT centre without capacity limitations in relation to national and European developments.
  
  
  METHODS
  The use of PET/CT in cancer was registered from early 2006 to early 2009 to judge the impact on patient management and to compare it with national and European trends.
  
  
  RESULTS
  6056 PET/CT examinations were performed in 4327 patients. Activity increased by 86 examinations per month compared with the same month the year before. Referrals came primarily from oncology (23.0%), haematology (21.6%), surgery (12.6%), internal medicine (12.7%) and gynaecology (5.5%). Referral indications were diagnosis (31.3%), staging (22.3%), recurrence detection (21.2%), response evaluation (17.0%) and other (8.2%). Response from nearly 60% of users showed that PET/CT caused a change in diagnosis and/or staging and/or treatment plan in 36.0% of cases. During the study period, there was a steep increase in the national use of FDG and in the European use of PET/CT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We recorded a constantly increasing use of PET/CT that caused a change in diagnosis and/or staging and/or treatment plan in 36.0% of cases. In line with national and European trends this may suggest a shift in favour of functional rather than anatomical imaging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, PET & Cyclotron Unit, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, DK-5000, Odense C, Denmark. pfhc@ouh.regionsyddanmark.dk
authors.forename: Poul Flemming
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Høilund-Carlsen
authors.forename: Oke
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gerke
authors.forename: Mie Holm
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Vilstrup
authors.forename: Anne Lerberg
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thomassen
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: Mette
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Høilund-Carlsen
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vach
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Petersen
mesh_terms: D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005060:Europe; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013382:Subtraction Technique / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014600:Utilization Review