The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced that Medicare will now cover the use of positron emission tomography, or PET scans, for myeloma patients.

PET is an imaging technique that can be used to scan the whole body for abnormal cellular function. According to the CMS decision summary, PET imaging improves both physician decision-making and the health outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries who have myeloma.

In myeloma patients, PET scans can detect lesions that might not have been seen using standard testing, or it can more positively show the absence of cancer. As such, PET helps with both staging and treating myeloma.

According to the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) press release, a study in the December issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine made the case for using PET scans on myeloma patients. Researchers found that PET technology changed the course of treatment for almost half of the myeloma patients studied. Also, out of the 18 cancer types examined in the study, PET scans had the biggest impact on myeloma treatment plans.

Michael Katz, vice president of the IMF, said that he is excited by the cost-effectiveness of PET scans and hopes that private insurers will follow CMS’ lead.

For more information, visit the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the IMF press release. More information on the Journal of Nuclear Medicine study can be found here.