National Toll Free Hotline for PET Scans Debuts to Meet Growing Demand for Alzheimer's Diagnosis
2004年6月9日 - 2:06AM
PRニュース・ワイアー (英語)
National Toll Free Hotline for PET Scans Debuts to Meet Growing
Demand for Alzheimer's Diagnosis 1-888-PET-4-YOU SAN DIEGO, June 8
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Due to the rising demand for Positron
Emission Tomography (PET) imaging to diagnose Alzheimer's Disease,
one of the nation's leading PET service providers, Molecular
Imaging Corporation, announced today the launch of a national toll
free hotline, 1- 888-PET-4-YOU (1-888-738-4960), to assist people
seeking information about PET scans for themselves or loved ones.
PET imaging can detect Alzheimer's in the very early stages of the
disease, years before traditional outward symptoms of dementia.
Early detection makes it possible for doctors to provide treatment
therapies that can help slow the progression of Alzheimer's as well
as many other diseases. Molecular Imaging Corporation (MIC)
provides state-of-the-art molecular imaging services with
physicians, hospitals and outpatient clinics in 18 states and
providing services at more than 100 locations, MIC has created the
hotline to provide information for physicians and patients on how
to acquire this diagnostic test as well as help callers locate the
nearest PET Imaging center. If callers are from an area in which
MIC does not operate, the Company will direct them to talk to their
doctor about how to get an evaluation and give them name of the
nearest PET diagnostic center chosen from a national database of
providers. "PET Imaging can be combined with a careful clinical
evaluation to detect Alzheimer's earlier than anything else
available. It is important to make sure information about this
disease is made available to those Americans who are at risk
because of family history and age," said Dr. Mintun, Professor of
Radiology, Division of Nuclear Medicine, at Washington University
Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri. "Diagnosis is only the first
step, but a key first step. We should not forget that there are
treatment options available today for Alzheimer's Disease, and even
better treatments are on the way." Positron Emission Tomography
(PET) is a molecular medical imaging procedure that shows
functional abnormalities based on the metabolism of glucose in
tissue. This ability to give a direct measure of the body's
metabolic functions gives PET many advantages over other diagnostic
imaging techniques. Unlike conventional "anatomic" based imaging
procedures like CT, MRI and ultrasound, PET provides "functional"
imaging. "Functional Imaging" can detect metabolic changes, which
may be precursors to disease. It can monitor response to treatment,
as well as eliminate the need for costly redundant testing or
invasive surgical procedures. Alzheimer's disease currently affects
4.5 million Americans, and that number is expected to rise
dramatically as baby boomers pass the age of 65 and life expectancy
continues to rise. It is estimated that one in every ten people
over the age of 65 has Alzheimer's disease and 50% of people over
the age of 85. It is projected that 27 million Americans will
suffer from Alzheimer's by the year 2050. The only affirmative
diagnosis for Alzheimer's disease currently is through an autopsy
in which the buildup of beta-amyloid plaque is measured in the
brain. Because of the difficulty in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease
many people who have the disease are not diagnosed until much brain
damage has been done. Lengthy exams and multiple tests of cognitive
and memory function are required to make the diagnosis in an early
stage. However, PET scans, which can be completed in less than 20
minutes, help the clinician make the diagnosis as early as possible
-- and that means with a minimum of damage. With the ease and
increasing accessibility of PET imaging services, people can begin
to take steps to manage the progression of their disease, get their
affairs in order, begin existing therapies and participate in new
clinical trials. "Over the past few years patients with serious
medical disorders and their advocates have begun to understand and
appreciate the diagnostic value of a molecular imaging procedure
like PET in detecting disease at the earliest stages, many times
before symptoms appear," stated Paul J. Crowe, CEO of Molecular
Imaging Corporation. "This includes patients with cancer, heart
disease and functional disorders like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
We receive many calls directly from patients or their advocates
asking us how and where they can get tested. We explain to them
that the first step is for them to speak directly with their family
physician about their particular condition, and request the
procedure through their physician if it's appropriate for their
condition." "Unfortunately, Crowe continued, many physicians are
currently not familiar enough with the procedure. Many have not had
any personal experience utilizing this new technology or worse
don't have access to this imaging technology, and without
experience or access to the technology, many patients are never
offered the procedure. We have now gone a step further by providing
an information hotline that is easily accessible for physicians and
their patients." Medicare reimbursement on the way The majority of
health benefit insurance companies currently authorizes and pays
for molecular imaging diagnostic testing, just as they do for MRI,
CT and other radiology procedures, covering cancer, cardiology and
neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's. The Center for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also currently provides
reimbursement for PET for a range of cancer and cardiology testing.
Now, after reviewing case studies presented by physician
luminaries, and at the request of scores of congressional members,
CMS is expected to decide soon whether to reimburse healthcare
providers for PET imaging in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. Should
this occur as expected, it will enable millions of senior citizens
to be tested for Alzheimer's disease early and regularly. It will
also provide an incentive for pharmaceutical companies and research
based institutions to develop a cure for this devastating and fatal
illness. "The anticipated Medicare reimbursement will make PET
imaging more available for the population that needs it most,"
states Peter S. Conti, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Radiology,
Clinical Pharmacy and Biomedical Engineering at the University of
Southern California, as well as Director of the USC PET Science
Center. "People over 65 are the fastest growing sector of the
population and as the tools for diagnosis, treatment and possible
prevention of Alzheimer's grow, it is a logical step to include it
in the spectrum of services paid for by Medicare. About Molecular
Imaging Corporation Molecular Imaging Corporation (OTC:MLRI)
(BULLETIN BOARD: MLRI) is a leading national service provider of
Positron Emission Tomography ("PET") diagnostic imaging services.
PET is a 3-Dimensional Full Body molecular imaging procedure used
to diagnose and stage disease and assess treatment outcomes for
many cancers, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders.
The Company operates both mobile and permanent (fixed) PET imaging
facilities for hospitals, diagnostic imaging centers and physician
groups throughout the U.S. The Company's clinical web site,
http://www.petadvances.com/, addresses questions about the various
cancers and how molecular imaging can assist and benefit physicians
and their patients. The Company's web site,
http://www.molecularimagingcorp.com/, addresses questions about the
Company's professional services and investor relations. DATASOURCE:
Molecular Imaging Corporation CONTACT: Tim Sullivan,
+1-212-981-5234, Michael Paluszek +1-212-981-5149, or Wallis Post,
+1-212-981-5147, all for Molecular Imaging Corporation Web site:
http://www.molecularimagingcorp.com/ http://www.petadvances.com/
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