Expanding Access Through Intelligence: Canada’s PET-CT Market Moves Toward Distributed Precision

Canada’s oncology and neurology networks are expanding hybrid-imaging capacity as provincial modernization efforts accelerate. In 2025, Kingston Health Sciences Center (KHSC) completed southeastern Ontario’s first PET-CT suite, supported through a USD 7.1 million investment from the provincial government and local donors. British Columbia is also advancing hybrid imaging through the BC Cancer-Vancouver Technology Transformation program. The initiative includes the installation of a new Quadra PET/CT scanner, the first of its kind in Canada. Alberta is moving in the same direction through an eight-year, USD 569.7 million provincial imaging modernization program. focused on upgrading and replacing cancer-specific diagnostic equipment. However, despite these initiatives, northern and Atlantic regions still have little or no permanent PET-CT access. These disparities persist even as modernization expands, underscoring the need for coordinated planning and deeper penetration of hybrid imaging across underserved zones.

As per Hospital Intel Suite (HiS), PET-CT distribution remains highly imbalanced. Ontario and Quebec host over 55 percent more PET-CT units than the rest of Canada combined, reflecting concentration in major tertiary centers. Northern territories account for less than 3 percent of national PET-CT capacity, with some regions lacking permanent scanners. Most systems remain clustered in academic hospitals, leaving secondary and regional facilities with minimal coverage.

Canada’s PET-CT landscape is being shaped by provincial investments that are expanding capacity beyond major academic centers. New installations in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta are increasing access in high-volume oncology and neurology programs. However, several northern and Atlantic regions still operate without permanent PET-CT services. These gaps are encouraging interest in hub-and-spoke models, shared suites, and mobile units to extend coverage in underserved areas. As modernization accelerates, PET-CT demand is becoming increasingly concentrated in regions with limited or delayed infrastructure, defining where future expansion will be most critical.