Cancer patient trials show no benefits from extra MRI scan

A TRIAL involving hundreds of Yorkshire breast cancer patients has found no evidence they would benefit from an additional MRI scan before undergoing surgery.
By The Newsroom
Published 11th Jan 2010, 22:35 BST
Updated 11th Jan 2010, 22:35 BST

Latest figures show around one in six women who have surgery for the illness face another operation because not all of their tumour is removed.

The repeat operations are an extra burden for patients as well as an additional cost to the NHS but hopes had been raised that extra MRI scans could reduce the numbers of second operations.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Experts in Hull examined 1,600 patients and gave half an additional MRI scan on top of their existing clinical examination, X-ray and ultrasound scans and a biopsy.

But they found little difference in the re-operation rates between the two groups, which stood at 18.75 per cent for MRI patients and 19.33 per cent for the control group.

The extra scan also cost more but offered little or no benefits for clinical outcome or quality of life.

Prof Lindsay Turnbull, of Hull University, who led the study,

said: "These results are important from both from the patient's perspective and a health economic aspect. Knowing this will allow time and resources to be more effectively used elsewhere."

Related topics:YorkshireHullNHS