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Patient Home | Thyroid Cancer & PET Scans Thyroid Cancer & PET Scans
Medicare Approval October 1, 2003 PET scanning was approved for most head and neck cancers in 2000, but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) specifically excluded thyroid cancer coverage at that time. In 2003, however, Medicare approved PET scanning for thyroid cancer patients with elevated serum Tg and negative RAI scans. Below is Medicare’s specific policy expanded coverage for PET Scans for Thyroid Cancer: Thyroid Cancer: For services furnished on or after October 1, 2003, Medicare covers the use of FDG PET for Thyroid Cancer only for restaging of recurrent or residual thyroid cancers of follicular cell origin that have been previously treated by thyroidectomy and radioiodine ablation and have a serum thyroglobulin > 10ng/ml and negative I-131 whole body scan. Limitations: All other uses of FDG PET in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer remain noncovered. PET scans offer thyroid cancer patients HOPE. Patient Information about PET scans and Thyroid Cancer. >>More Physician Information about PET scans and Thyroid Cancer. >>More Medicare Program Memorandum about PET scans and Thyroid Cancer. >>More Case Studies of PET Scanning and Thyroid Cancer. >>More |
