A study using MRI scans to measure how well chemotherapy is working

Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.

Cancer type:

Bone cancer

Breast cancer

Children's cancers

Sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcoma

Status:

Closed

Phase:

Other

This study is looking at a new type of MRI scan to measure how well cancer is responding to chemotherapy. The study is open to people with

Doctors can treat these cancers with chemotherapy Open a glossary item . To find out if treatment is working they take CT scans, standard MRI scans (or both) before, during and after treatment.

In this study, the researchers are developing a new way of using an MRI scan. They think that it may be better for finding out how well the treatment is working. As part of the study you will have the standard CT scans and the new MRI scans.

The study team will compare the CT scans with the new MRI scans. They want to find out if the MRI scans are as good as the CT scans at measuring how well chemotherapy is working. And if the MRI scans can pick up how well chemotherapy is working sooner than the CT scans.

Please note - You are unlikely to get any direct benefit from joining this study and it will not affect your treatment, but the results may help to improve the way cancer is treated in the future.

Who can enter

You may be able to join this study if you are having chemotherapy Open a glossary item at the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and you are in1 of the following situations

You have a soft tissue sarcoma that your doctor thinks may have spread to another part of your body and you are at least 18 years old
You have breast cancer that your doctor thinks may have spread to another part of your body and you are at least 18 years old
You have a type of bone cancer called osteosarcoma or Ewing’s sarcoma and you are at least 13 years old

You cannot join this study if any of these apply. You

Have another cancer or have had treatment for another cancer
Are not able to have an MRI scan. For example, because you have a pacemaker or other metal in your body, you cannot cope with being in small spaces or you can’t lie flat for at least an hour
Are pregnant

Trial design

The study team need up to 90 people who are going to the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to join.

You have at least 2, but no more than 5 MRI scans depending on your treatment. The researchers will try to arrange the MRI scans on the same day you have other scans or clinic appointments.

You have devices called RF coils placed on or near your body as part of the MRI scan. These coils transmit and receive radio waves similar to a radio or television.

The MRI scanner is noisy and you are given earplugs or headphones to wear. You must lie still during the scan and may be asked to hold your breath for 1 or more short periods.

The MRI scan takes up to an hour.

Hospital visits

You have all your MRI scans at the MRI unit at University College London. You have an MRI scan before starting chemotherapy. During treatment, you have between 1 and 4 more scans.

Where possible, the study team will arrange for the MRI scans to be on the same day as your routine scans or clinic appointments.