SERENADE
Research type
Research Study
Full title
SERENADE: Screening for synchronous metastases in colorectal cancer using Hepatic Diffusion weighted MRI.
IRAS ID
135981
Contact name
Gina Brown
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Marsden Hospital
Research summary
Improvements in surgery have improved survival for patients with colorectal cancer. Unfortunately a proportion of patients will have disease which has spread to the liver (liver metastases) when the colorectal cancer is diagnosed, especially if they have a high risk type of cancer. It is important to diagnose liver metastases early as patients will need more treatment.
At the moment everyone who is diagnosed with colorectal cancer has a CT scan to find out how high risk their cancer is; this scan is also used to look for liver metastases. Patients with rectal cancer also have an MRI scan of their rectum. Unfortunately it can be difficult to see liver metastases on the CT scan, especially when they are small (and maybe easier to treat). Liver MRI is known to be better than CT at seeing the liver metastases and isn’t routinely used because there is currently no evidence for it. It has been suggested that a limited MRI scan of the liver (so called “diffusion weighted MRI”) could see more liver metastases than CT, however this has not yet been shown to work in patients with a new diagnosis of colorectal cancer.
This study plans to test if a limited liver MRI scan at the time colorectal cancer is diagnosed can detect more liver metastases than conventional CT. Patients with high risk colorectal cancer will have a limited MRI scan of the liver; this doesn’t hurt and takes about 10 minutes. If this scan shows liver metastases patients will have the longer liver MRI scan to confirm if they liver metastases.
The results of the scans will be used to plan patients’ treatment. If patients’ have liver metastases they will be able to discuss having more treatment with their doctors. This additional treatment may help them live longer.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/1150
Date of REC Opinion
31 Jul 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion