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PET in Europe

Accountability of PET

Reimbursement status in Germany

Up until now in Germany, the costs for a PET/CT examination of non-parvicellular lung cancer and the lung nodule have been taken over by the health insurance companies. (GKV). The Institute for Quality Protection and Operational Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) was commissioned with the research, description and assessment of the medical standard of knowledge about PET and PET/CT for 14 further types of cancer. (see 2006-12-19_IQWiG-PET.pdf). To quote the IQWiG website, only malignant lymphoma (cancer of the lymph gland) is being currently worked upon, all other 13 indications have a „deferred“ status. A longer processing period is therefore to be calculated.

The diagnostic practice of PET and PET/CT is reimbursed by the social health systems in all other European countries. As a matter of fact, the state insurance program in the USA, Medicare, recommends the use of PET for all types of cancer.

To bridge this uneven treatment and the poor preparation of German patients as opposed to their European neighbours, the Diagnostic Therapeutic Center(DTZ) has concluded integrated health care with the Technicians health insurance company (TK) for varied forms of cancer. This affects the following indications:
- non-small cell bronchial cancer (lung cancer)
- mastocarcinoma (breast cancer)
- malignant lymphoma (cancer of the lymph gland)

The decision findings of the G-BA should be contributed to by an accompanying study. This medical-scientific backing will be conducted together with the HELIOS-Clinic „Emil von Behring“, the Lichtenberg Sana clinic and the Charité „Benjamin Franklin“ campus.