Study Explores Effects of MRI Scans During Cancer Treatment

Dutch scientists have found that the majority of brain cancer patients who have repeated MRI scans of their brains in follow-up visits tolerate the sessions quite well. However, if given a choice, most cancer patients would avoid gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) in cases with diagnostically equivalent results.

The research team published its results in the “Journal of Neuro-Oncology” in late March.

According to the team, the study findings could allow clinicians to improve the care of patients diagnosed with primary brain tumors, particularly glioma. Gliomas are a deadly type of primary brain tumor that starts growing in the brain or spinal cells.

The condition can be life-threatening because gliomas are hard to reach and treat surgically. They also spread into the spinal cord or brain quite rapidly and often occur extremely close to healthy tissues, making treatment even more difficult.

The research team said that individuals with gliomas and other types of brain tumors, especially slow-growing ones, will go through several MRI scans per year. Protocols for glioma MRI scans tend to take a lot of time and, in some cases, involve using GBCAs to improve the clarity of MRI images.

The medical industry barely knows anything about patient opinion on brain cancer treatment protocols involving radiological care despite MRI scans’ role in treating cancer patients. Furthermore, the knowledge gap in patient opinion regarding neurooncological MRI and research developments in the field make it harder to plan future MRI research lines effectively.

The researchers wanted to analyze how patients respond to such MRI protocols throughout treatment, as prior research hasn’t really explored the topic. They ran a survey involving 100 brain tumor patients after the patients had gone through an MRI scan.

Fifty-nine survey participants had low-grade tumors, while 93 had histopathologically confirmed brain cancer diagnoses. The researchers quizzed patients on their MRI experiences, frequency of follow-up visits and the use of gadolinium-based contrast agents in MRI sessions. After analyzing the results, the researchers found that 86% of patients did not experience symptoms such as nausea during or after MRI scans.

An estimated 78% said that the frequency of MRI scans was “perfect as it is,” with 68% reporting that MRI session duration was “not long, not short,” and 47% said that the MRI session did not cause any associated stress.

The study went on to note that 67% of the participants rated the MRI scan as “not at all unpleasant” while 40% feared potential bad outcomes or news. Furthermore, 95% were unaware of any potential negative outcomes from using GBCAs, while 63% preferred avoiding contrast agents when it was diagnostically equivalent.

Brain cancer is seeing plenty of research resources being invested, and the likes of CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) could bring to market new therapeutics that leverage all the growing body of information about how cancer affects and spreads within the brain.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP

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