RABUS version1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Role of ABUS as an alternative to breast MRI in assessing response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy
IRAS ID
259769
Contact name
Nisha Sharma
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Some women who have been diagnosed with a breast cancer will require chemotherapy as part of their treatment. The chemotherapy can be given before breast surgery – neoadjuvant chemotherapy or after breast surgery – adjuvant chemotherapy. Whether chemotherapy is given before or after does not affect the clinical outcomes for the woman – ie there is no disadvantage to the woman. Due to the fact that giving chemotherapy before has no disadvantages, many of the oncologists like to give the chemotherapy before because they can see if the breast cancer is responding. They are able to do this by using imaging. The best imaging test is breast MRI. Ultrasound can be used but studies have shown that it is not as good. However, whole breast ultrasound (ABUS) provides 3dimensional information similar to breast MRI and the purpose of our study is to see if ABUS performs similar to breast MRI in being able to see if a tumour is responding to the chemotherapy. The breast MRI requires women to lie facing down and takes about 20mins. It involves an injection of contrast called gadolinium via a cannula. ABUS involves scanning the whole breast with the patient lying on their back and takes 10mins. There is no injection of contrast. MRI is an expensive test and often there is limited access to the scanner and so patients may have to wait for an appointment. ABUS because it is an automated process for obtaining the images can be performed in the breast unit in a timely manner without the issue of competing demands. All women who agree to take part in the study will have both the breast MRI - standard care and ABUS.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/YH/0193
Date of REC Opinion
15 Aug 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion