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The sole PET/CT scanner in Saskatchewan is fully operational once again after a shortage of a critical component needed for the scanner to operate.
In a statement shared with 650 CKOM on Friday, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said the production of fludeoxyglucose (FDG) at the Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation had resumed.
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According to the SHA, that means the scanner at Royal University Hospital has resumed its operations after receiving a fresh supply of FDG on Jan. 8.
The shortage of the radioactive tracer was a result of the temporary halting of the cyclotron at the Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation on Dec. 23.
A statement from the Fedoruk Centre said an issue with the radio frequency power required to accelerate particles used to make radioactive materials meant the cyclotron was not able to produce its daily dose of the radiotracer FDG, used in PET/CT scanners for cancer diagnosis.
The cyclotron’s full operations resumed on Jan. 8 and it is now once again producing FDG at full capacity, the statement read.
The disruption of the machine — that required it to be shut down for two days from Dec. 23-24, and its subsequent operations at half-capacity since Dec. 29 — were only because of an FDG shortage.
During the shortage, a number of appointments were disrupted, requiring rebooking or temporary cancellation.
In its statement, the SHA noted that 55 scheduled appointments were affected by the disruption and subsequent rebooking since Dec. 29. Previously, the SHA reported 27 appointments were temporarily cancelled while the machine was shut down between Dec. 23 and 24.
The health authority reported that 20 appointments have been rebooked and 52 scans completed as of Jan. 7.
“The SHA prioritizes providing diagnostic scans in a timely manner and we’re focused on getting all referrals rebooked as soon as possible, especially for patients requiring cancer care and other critical diagnoses.”
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