Ga-somatostatin analogue PET-CT: Analysis of costs and benefits in a public hospital setting.

Introduction: Between 2009 and 2012, Ga-somatostatin analogue PET-CT progressively replaced In-octreotide scintigraphy for imaging neuroendocrine tumours in WA public hospitals due to published literature demonstrating improved diagnostic accuracy and increased availability. Despite significantly improved sensitivity and specificity, Ga-somatostatin analogue PET is currently unfunded in Australia. This study sought to undertake cost analysis of the two modalities in a public hospital setting and to compare them with regard to patient factors such as imaging time and radiation dose.