Thank you very much. I'll try to be brief for the rest of my presentation.
What I was saying is that the absence of PET technology has already taken its toll on Canadians, and I must say that I have never seen as many advanced cancers in my career as over the past six years of practice in Canada. Also, it is the first time in my career that I have been forced to perform PET clinical trials that are qualified by the international community as unethical.
Without access to these 21st century technologies and isotopes, it is extremely difficult to attract medical students into this critical field and to retain our young graduates and senior physicians in Canada. Middle term and long term, losing its very best is always detrimental to any society.
The CANM would like to strongly recommend to this committee that, first, the government rescind the decision to abandon MAPLE 1 and MAPLE 2 reactors to produce medical isotopes, and immediately convene an international expert panel to analyze in depth the real issues related to the commissioning of these reactors and release all the conclusions of the panel to the public and medical organizations.
Second, we recommend that the federal government, through Health Canada, expeditiously approve the use of positron emitting isotopes and their radiopharmaceuticals based on the pre-clinical and clinical trials performed in Europe and the United States and the criteria well established by the United States and the European Union regulatory agencies for the safe clinical use of these radioisotopes.
Third, we recommend that for a period of five years the federal government work with the provinces and territories to support and subsidize the recent increase of, in particular, technetium-99m costs imposed by the manufacturer and distributor, and the cost of the deployment and implementation of positron emission technology throughout Canada.
Fourth, we recommend that the Minister of Natural Resources and Health Canada work formally and expeditiously with the relevant medical organizations, rather than relying on expert individuals who might have personal conflicts of interest, and establish rapidly the processes to implement these recommendations.
The CANM strongly believes that Canada must update its health care system and provide its citizens with 21st century nuclear medicine diagnostic and therapeutic tools. The CANM is also pleased to reiterate its offer to work very closely with the government and provide its support, experience, expertise, and testimony to achieve this goal.
Dr. Peter Hollet, immediate past president of the CANM, and I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have. We thank you for your attention.