A recent study in JAMA Oncology has highlighted the benefits of screening patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome using whole-body MRI imaging.
The study demonstrates that screening with whole-body MRI enables clinically useful early detection of cancer in TP53 mutation carriers. The cancers that were detected were all treated with a curative intent.
http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/article-abstract/2646798.
The wide spectrum of associated tumours and the need to provide an imaging test without radiation, has brought whole-body MRI to the forefront of imaging in TP53 mutation carriers. Unfortunately, whole-body MRI is not an imaging test widely available in the UK, or most countries for that matter.
At The Paul Strickland Scanner Centre, we have been providing whole-body MRI for patients for several years and have performed over 5000 examinations. We are one of the leading centres in the world in whole-body MRI and one of the very few centres in the UK providing this service clinically.
We would be delighted to potentially offer whole-body MRI to adult patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome as part of their routine surveillance and I would be happy to discuss personally with patients who are interested in undertaking a potential examination.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with your questions or interest in whole-body MRI.
Dr Andrew Gogbashian
Contact: https://www.stricklandscanner.org.uk/contact-us
Consultant Oncological Radiologist
The Paul Strickland Scanner Centre
Mount Vernon Cancer Centre
Susan Frary
I have LFS and am trying to get whole body MRI here in Nebraska. I moved from Wisconsin where the health care was much better!
Andrew G
Hi Susan,
It is true that not all centres can perform whole-body MRI as it can be a demanding technique to get right and do well. Also not all while-body MRIs are the same. We perform a continuous body scan (not just separate body parts pulled together) and with ‘diffusion weighted sequences’. The diffusion sequences excel in detecting cancer and are integral to the scans we perform. it is better to have diffusion weighted sequences as part of the whole-body MRI scan.