The SCAN-ME Project - Workstreams 2-3
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The SCAN-ME Project: Understanding the Value of Follow-Up Scans for Children and Young People with Medulloblastoma
IRAS ID
341914
Contact name
Lucy Shepherd
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of York
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 30 days
Research summary
After treatment ends, children, and young people (CYP) with medulloblastoma undergo surveillance imaging, which aims to detect tumour relapse before symptoms develop with the aim of improving survival and treatment options. However, there is limited evidence to suggest that detecting a relapse earlier in medulloblastoma will improve survival.
This project explores whether the method of relapse detection (whether on surveillance scans, or by symptoms leading to a clinical need for scans) impacts survival in CYP with medulloblastoma. It will also investigate whether particular subgroups of patients are more likely to have a relapse detected on a scan, or benefit from a relapse being detected earlier. We will also evaluate whether surveillance imaging is good value for money for the NHS and will conduct an economic evaluation to determine the cost-effectiveness of follow-up imaging.
We aim to use data from a retrospective cohort of children and young people with relapsed medulloblastoma treated in the UK (the Newcastle Medulloblastoma [NMB] dataset). This cohort provides the most comprehensive dataset of children and young people with relapsed medulloblastoma in the UK and includes important information on some of the prognostic factors, such as the principal molecular group of medulloblastoma and genetic alterations. However, when this dataset was originally collated, details of the method of relapse detection was not collected. This ethics application details our methods to obtain additional data on the method of relapse detection from principal treatment centres (PTCs) across the UK for patients who have already provided data for the NMB dataset (REC reference: 07/Q0905/71).
REC name
London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/LO/0104
Date of REC Opinion
11 Mar 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion