Monthly MRIs inform early treatment for patients with metastatic melanoma
Frequent follow-up brain MRIs after a metastatic melanoma diagnosis alters the care plan for certain patients, according to research published this week in Cancer Medicine.
Up to 50% of patients with metastatic melanoma develop brain metastases, which is why being under the care of watchful eyes is so important. MRI is the standard for detecting cancer that has spread to the brain, and in the case of patients with metastatic melanoma, researchers believe it could detect even the slightest changes when performed in consecutive intervals.
“The greatly improved survival and the chance of long-term disease control have resulted in increased utilization of imaging modalities. However, evidence for optimal use of imaging modalities in the management of metastatic melanoma is lacking,” explained Annemarie C. Eggen with the Department of Medical Oncology at the University of Groningen, and coauthors.
A retrospective study was conducted from June 2015 to January 2018 on patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma and brain metastases. Participants with cancer that had spread to their brain had monthly MRIs for three months, and those with metastatic melanoma had monthly scans for six months.
A total of 116 patients had no brain metastases at the time of their metastatic melanoma diagnosis. After the first screening MRI, 24% of those patients showed cancer that had spread to their brain. Out of that group, eight were asymptomatic. Treatment strategies changed in 45% of patients after one of their follow-up MRIs.
“Screening MRI scans in patients with metastatic melanoma aid in the early detection of brain metastases before neurological symptoms occur. Furthermore, regular follow-up MRI scans in patients with melanoma brain metastases lead to changes in treatment strategy,” authors wrote.
While the researchers admit the cost-effectiveness and specific intervals of a diagnostic sequence for brain MRIs need to be evaluated, they conclude that the benefits in early detection are evident in the study.
You can read the full study in Cancer Medicine.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She joined Innovate Healthcare in 2021 and has since put her unique expertise to use in her editorial role with Health Imaging.