The West Clinic Participates in Nationwide Study

MEMPHIS, TN– April 2, 2008 - According to a study of data from the National Oncologic PET Registry (NOPR) published online March 24 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO), clinicians changed the intended care of more than one in three cancer patients as the result of FDG -PET scan findings.

The West Clinic, the Mid-South’s leading cancer care center, is one of over 1200 facilities participating in the NOPR that contributed FDG -PET scan data analyzed for the study on nearly 23,000 patients.

The NOPR was launched in May 2006 in response to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ ( CMS ) novel “Coverage with Evidence Development” policy to collect data through a clinical registry to inform the center’s FDG -PET coverage determination decisions for currently non-covered cancer indications. Sponsored by the Academy of Molecular Imaging ( AMI ) and managed by the American College of Radiology ( ACR ) and the ACR Imaging Network (ACRIN), the NOPR is designed to collect questionnaire data from referring physicians on intended patient management before and after a FDG -PET scan

As an NOPR participating facility, The West Clinic collects from local referring physicians both a pre-PET questionnaire (documenting study indication, cancer type and anticipated stage, and planned management if PET were not available) and one of several post-PET questionnaires that assess the referring physician’s planned management in light of the FDG -PET findings.

Analysis of registry data reported in the JCO article found that FDG -PET is associated with a 36.5% change in the decision of whether or how to treat a patient’s cancer.  According to Lee S. Schwartzberg, MD, FACP, Medical Director for The West Clinic, “ We are pleased to participate in this innovative project and learn of these positive initial results regarding the important role PET plays in the management of patient care.  he more we know about a patient’s cancer, the better we can determine the best possible care options. These results are very encouraging.”

Cancer types Medicare currently covers for reimbursement only through the NOPR include those of the ovary, uterus, prostate, pancreas, stomach, kidney and bladder.  (For a complete list of NOPR covered cancer types and indications, go to www.cancerpetregistry.org.)

NOPR has formally asked CMS to reconsider the current National Coverage decision on FDG -PET and to end the data collection requirements for diagnosis, staging and restaging. Medicare will review the published data and determine the next steps related to reimbursement for PET scans now only covered through the NOPR.

FDG -PET, also called PET imaging or PET scan, is a test that images the function of cells to show differences between healthy tissue and diseased tissue. It uses a small amount of a radioactive chemical which is combined with sugar. This combination is called FDG , so the test is sometimes called an FDG -PET scan. It is used to evaluate various neurological and cardiac disorders, as well as for diagnosing, staging, and monitoring the treatment of many different cancers.

For additional information or to arrange an interview, please contact Deborah Coble , Director of Corporate Communications, the West Clinic, 901-683-0055 x 1312.