Adherence to surveillance guidelines for primary RP sarcoma_v 1.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Primary retroperitoneal, abdominal, and pelvic soft tissue sarcomas: impact of post-operative radiological surveillance intensity on oncological outcomes and management of distant and locally recurrent disease
IRAS ID
309126
Contact name
Samuel Ford
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Research Strategy and Services Division, UoB
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
Retroperitoneal (back of the abdomen), abdominal, and pelvic sarcomas are malignant tumours (cancers). Sarcomas are generally treated with surgery alone, followed by a follow-up plan that includes regular clinic visits and scans to check the sarcoma has not grown back or spread to other parts of the body. Many different follow-up plans are being used around the world, but at present, no specific follow-up plan is considered superior. As highlighted during the initial Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) meeting, follow-up scans and clinic visits can cause significant anxiety, termed “scanxiety”, and disruption of daily life for patients. The PPI panel confirmed the urgent need to investigate the effect of follow-up and the number of follow-ups on patients’ quality of life and overall survival. Existing guidelines for follow-up plans for patients with sarcoma will be reviewed and a survey of the current imaging intervals and modalities will be undertaken to include specialist centres in the UK and centres within the Trans-Atlantic Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Working Group (TARPSWG), including over 35 specialised sarcoma centres. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham will be the coordinating centre for an international, multi-centre, retrospective pseudonymised dataset. Centres contributing to the survey of postoperative imaging intensity will be invited to submit pseudonymised data regarding survival, tumour recurrence, mode of recurrence identification and subsequent management. This retrospective dataset will then be utilised to determine the impact of surveillance intensity on overall survival, disease-free survival and adherence to intended standard surveillance intervals. This research will provide new important information which will help clinicians make meaningful changes to the follow-up plan to potentially improve patients’ quality of life, survival outcomes, quality of care, reduce anxiety and distress, and lower costs for patients and the NHS.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/NW/0399
Date of REC Opinion
15 Dec 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion