Whole Body MRI

Hi there,

I've been following some of the research on whole body MRI for MBC patients & was wondering if anyone has used them in place of bone scans &/or other scanning modalities?

Thanks,

Eleanor

One example:

RESEARCH ARTICLE

The added value of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging in the management of patients with advanced breast cancer

Fabio Zugni, Francesca Ruju, Paola Pricolo,Sarah Alessi, Monica Iorfida, Marco Angelo Colleoni, Massimo Bellomi, Giuseppe Petralia

• AbstractThis study investigates the impact of whole-body MRI (WB-MRI) in addition to CT of chest-abdomen-pelvis (CT-CAP) and 18F-FDG PET/CT (PET/CT) on systemic treatment decisions in standard clinical practice for patients with advanced breast cancer (ABC). WB-MRI examinations in ABC patients were extracted from our WB-MRI registry (2009–2017). Patients under systemic treatment who underwent WB-MRI and a control examination (CT-CAP or PET/CT) were included. Data regarding progressive disease (PD) reported either on WB-MRI or on the control examinations were collected. Data regarding eventual change in treatment after the imaging evaluation were collected. It was finally evaluated whether the detection of PD by any of the two modalities had induced a change in treatment. Among 910 WB-MRI examinations in ABC patients, 58 had a paired control examination (16 CT-CAP and 42 PET/CT) and were analysed. In 23/58 paired examinations, additional sites of disease were reported only on WB-MRI and not on the control examination. In 17/28 paired examinations, PD was reported only on WB-MRI and not on the control examination. In 14 out of the 28 pairs of examinations that were followed by a change in treatment, PD had been reported only on WBMRI (14/28; 50%), while stable disease had been reported on the control examination.In conclusion, WB-MRI disclosed PD earlier than the control examination (CT-CAP or PET/CT), and it was responsible alone for 50% of all changes in treatment.Citation: Zugni F, Ruju F, Pricolo P, Alessi S, Iorfida M, Colleoni MA, et al. (2018) The added value of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging in the management of patients with advanced breast cancer. PLoS ONE 13(10): e0205251. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0205251

Not to be a science snob here (OK, I'm a total science snob), but there has to be something wrong with this study, either design, data collection or interpretation. PLoS ONE is [generally speaking] a journal of last resort. Which means that the cancer journals rejected the paper.

It would be hard to tell without reading the whole thing.

But. As blainejennifer says, each imaging modality has it's pluses and minuses.

Blainejennifer and pajim,

I have been thinking of asking my MO if she would consider ordering a whole body contrast MRI instead of my routine quarterly Bone and contrast CT scans. No real reason, except interested in what is seen with a change of imaging modality.

Should I even pursue this? Would insurance approval be a problem. And even more important, would MO think I am nuts?

Jennifer- Hoping the MRI helps answer tha pain question for you.

Thinking out loud here...with lobular it was only the MRI that saw cancer spread across both breasts when all other tests saw one tiny spot. It seems possible that WB MRI would be a worthwhile tool to assess ILC customers. I like the fact that there would be no extra radiation. (Alas- the contrast is hard on the body as well.)

I have a CT plus a brain MRI next month. I will ask about WB MRI when I meet with my Onc.