Mri IN STaging REctal polyp planes (MINSTREL)
Website: http://minstrelstudy.co.uk/
Patients undergoing TEMS can benefit from reduced mortality, impotence, hospi-tal stay and avoiding a stoma that may be associated with pelvic surgery. Currently few of the patients eligible for TEMS are offered it for a variety of reasons that include uncertainties about the risk of leaving residual tumour and the increased risk of subsequent recurrence of cancer within the pelvis. Currently guidelines state there is no role for imaging in assessing the malignant polyp.
We hope to prospectively test our hypothesis that an MRI scan can accurately gauge depth of tumour spread in an unselected group of benign and malignant tumours measuring be-tween 20mm and 50mm in size. We will identify eligible patients awaiting surgery / poly-pectomy and if they consent to our pilot study they will undergo an MRI to assess their tumour which assesses safety at all levels of the rectal wall. Should MRI prove sensitive and specific then we hope to change national guidelines to mandate MRI to standardise assessment and thereby increase the appropriate use of TEMS in the UK.
The MINSTREL trial is open to new sites.
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