News From Business Across Hull & Humber
MRI for breast cancer assessed
18/01/2010
Researchers at the University of Hull suggest that the addition of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to the initial, pre-operative assessment of women with small breast cancers does not reduce the re-operation rate for incompletely excised tumours.
A clinical trial commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme, has assessed the effectiveness of adding MRI to the assessment of women with breast cancer.
The number of women having a repeat operation or mastectomy, following initial lumpectomy, for incompletely excised breast cancer rose from 14 percent to 17 percent in 2006/7. This is a considerable additional burden to both the patient and the NHS. To help reduce this rate, the NHS is considering whether to recommend the addition of MRI to mammography for the assessment of breast cancer. However, there is limited evidence about its effectiveness.
Researchers, led by Professor Lindsay Turnbull, assessed whether the addition of MRI to the current method of patient evaluation by triple assessment (clinical examination, imaging (mammography and ultrasound) and biopsy) would aid breast tumour localisation and reduce the re-operation rate in women with primary tumours. They also evaluated the cost to the NHS of adding MRI to the assessment process.
Of 1623 women recruited to take part in the trial, 816 were randomised to receive MRI and 807 to receive no MRI. The results showed no differences in the re-operation rate between these two groups. The re-operation rate was 18.75 percent for the MRI patients and 19.33 per cent for the 'no' MRI patient group. The economic analysis indicated that the addition of MR imaging to the triple assessment would cost more but offered few or no benefits in terms of clinical outcome or quality of life.
'These results are important both from the patient's perspective and a health economic aspect,' says Professor Lindsay Turnbull. 'The findings of this trial demonstrate that although MRI provided the best assessment of the extent and location of tumour present in the breast, this information could not be utilised by surgeons using currently accepted techniques to reduce the re-operation rate, and therefore did not benefit patients. Knowing this will allow time and resources to be more effectively used elsewhere. This is important for both the NHS and for women with breast cancer.'
This study has published in Health Technol Assess 2010, Vol 14:01. Go to the website to view the full results.
The number of women having a repeat operation or mastectomy, following initial lumpectomy, for incompletely excised breast cancer rose from 14 percent to 17 percent in 2006/7. This is a considerable additional burden to both the patient and the NHS. To help reduce this rate, the NHS is considering whether to recommend the addition of MRI to mammography for the assessment of breast cancer. However, there is limited evidence about its effectiveness.
Researchers, led by Professor Lindsay Turnbull, assessed whether the addition of MRI to the current method of patient evaluation by triple assessment (clinical examination, imaging (mammography and ultrasound) and biopsy) would aid breast tumour localisation and reduce the re-operation rate in women with primary tumours. They also evaluated the cost to the NHS of adding MRI to the assessment process.
Of 1623 women recruited to take part in the trial, 816 were randomised to receive MRI and 807 to receive no MRI. The results showed no differences in the re-operation rate between these two groups. The re-operation rate was 18.75 percent for the MRI patients and 19.33 per cent for the 'no' MRI patient group. The economic analysis indicated that the addition of MR imaging to the triple assessment would cost more but offered few or no benefits in terms of clinical outcome or quality of life.
'These results are important both from the patient's perspective and a health economic aspect,' says Professor Lindsay Turnbull. 'The findings of this trial demonstrate that although MRI provided the best assessment of the extent and location of tumour present in the breast, this information could not be utilised by surgeons using currently accepted techniques to reduce the re-operation rate, and therefore did not benefit patients. Knowing this will allow time and resources to be more effectively used elsewhere. This is important for both the NHS and for women with breast cancer.'
This study has published in Health Technol Assess 2010, Vol 14:01. Go to the website to view the full results.
|<< Back