Has comparative effectiveness proven cost effective for nuclear medicine in the past?
Dr. Graham: There is modest literature in nuclear medicine and probably the best has been in using PET imaging for staging of lung cancer. The case is made quite well that it really is cost effective. The problem is that it doesn’t seem to be widely accepted in the oncology community. It’s getting into NCCN (National Comprehensive Cancer Network) guidelines, but there’s an additional job that has to be done to educate the oncologists. This is a difficult task, and it’s one we’re approaching by collaborating with the large oncology societies like ASTRO (American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology) and ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology). We’re sharing speakers between the two organizations, so they can educate us in terms of the viewpoint of the oncologist, and we’re speaking at their meetings to teach them about the capabilities of the imaging approach. I think this is going to lead to more appropriate use of the methodology. The approach to medical care doesn’t ch
