Shear wave elastography and soft tissue tumours

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Can shear wave elastography differentiate benign from malignant soft tissue tumours?

  • IRAS ID

    189188

  • Contact name

    Naomi Winn

  • Contact email

    naomi.winn@rjah.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Research Office

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 0 months, 3 days

  • Research summary

    Predicting tumour type with any degree of certainty on imaging is limited, with only simple lipomata and ganglion cysts being diagnosed confidently. Ultrasound is an attractive imaging technique, being less expensive compared with MRI, however, one of its limitations is its dependency on the operator. Shear wave elastography is a relatively new technique available in routine clinical practice and its utility in assessing soft tissue tumours has not yet been proven. To date, no studies have been performed evaluating the utility of shear wave elastography in musculoskeletal soft tissue tumours. We propose a study of the shear wave elastographic properties of soft tissue tumours to determine whether any characteristics can distinguish between benign and malignant tumours. We also propose to investigate whether the shear wave velocities in the tissues adjacent to the lesion have any effect on the velocities within the lesion.

    Primary objective:
    To determine if the shear wave velocities in a lesion can differentiate between a benign and malignant nature.

    Secondary objectives:
    To determine the inter-observer and intra-observer reliabilities of shear wave elastography.

    To assess whether there is a relationship between the shear wave velocities in a lesion and the adjacent soft tissues, namely muscle and subcutaneous fat.

  • REC name

    North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    15/NW/0954

  • Date of REC Opinion

    17 Dec 2015

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion