Positron tomography of breast cancer in a community hospital: A case study of advanced disease using a coincidence gamma camera

Until recently PET scanning has been available only at major universities or teaching hospitals possessing the necessary resources and expertise to operate a research PET facility. Most dedicated PET centers cost several millions of dollars, and include a cyclotron, a radiochemistry laboratory to synthesize PET radiopharmaceuticals, a multicrystal dedicated PET camera, advanced computer facilities and a staff of many researchers, radiochemists, physicists, computer programmers, physicians and technologists. Because of the extensive staff requirements, operating costs have also been in the millions of dollars, and as a result, Canada has only a handful of PET centers.