18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography (FDG-PET-CT) for oncological indications

Published on 01 Oct 2018
Last Updated on 09 Oct 2023

Guidance Recommendations

The Ministry of Health’s Medical Technology Advisory Committee has recommended cervical artificial disc replacement (C-ADR) for the treatment of symptomatic cervical disc degenerative disease (DDD) in line with the following criteria:

• Skeletally mature patients with symptomatic single level or two contiguous levels of cervical DDD and arm or neck pain (with or without neurologic deficit), confirmed by clinical examination and medical imaging, who:

  • require reconstruction of the cervical spinal disc;

  • have failed to respond to conservative medical management; and

  • have at least one of the following conditions:

    • herniated nucleus pulposus;

    • spondylosis (defined by the presence of osteophytes);

    • visible loss of disc height compared to adjacent levels; or

    • symptomatic spinal stenosis with radiculopathy.

Funding status

FDG-PET-CT is recommended for subsidy for the management of patients with selected oncological indications, in line with the abovementioned recommendations.

Subsidies will not apply to other oncological indications or PET-CT services utilising non-FDG tracers.

FDG-PET-CT for oncological indications [PDF, 244 KB]