Detecting inflammation in vestibular schwannomas with PET
Research type
Research Study
Full title
PET imaging of inflammation as a biomarker of tumour growth in vestibular schwannoma (VS)
IRAS ID
168281
Contact name
Andrew King
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are benign tumours, which can cause problems with hearing and balance. The majority of these tumours are relatively small and do not grow, therefore VS is monitored with a process known as ‘watch, wait and rescan’ using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the tumours that do grow can vary in size, leading to inconsistent management of VS among surgeons. It would be best practice if it was possible to predict whether the tumour was going to grow or not at an early stage of assessment, as larger tumours may require more urgent treatment and may be more difficult to treat. Recent studies have revealed that inflammation in the brain can be a sign that a tumour is growing. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans use low doses of radioactivity to detect how active tumours are and how they change over time based on measures of brain inflammation. This pilot study will involve equal numbers of patients with growing and non-growing VS who are currently being considered for surgical treatment in Greater Manchester. Participants will attend the Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre (WMIC) which is a dedicated University research facility based on the grounds of the Christie Hospital, Manchester. There they will have an MRI and PET scan. These scans will be compared with data from a library of non VS patients held at WMIC. Patients who go on to have surgical treatment will have excess tissue sample stored for further analysis. The aim of this pilot study is to explore whether PET scanning can be used as a predictive tool, at an earlier stage of assessment of VS to identify tumours which require active treatment. This study is strictly observational, and will not affect the clinical care that participants receive.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0429
Date of REC Opinion
12 Jun 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion