Baseline screening and psychosocial results from the UK SIGNIFY study: A whole-body MRI screening study in TP53 mutation carriers and matched controls.

Abstract

1520 Background: In the United Kingdom, current screening guidelines for TP53 germline mutation carriers solely recommends annual breast MRI, despite the wide spectrum of malignancies typically seen in this group. Some centres employ family specific screening with most centres having an “open-door” policy. Recent evidence suggests there may be a survival benefit with more intensive screening, including whole-body MRI. There are no published data on the psychological impact of such screening programmes. Methods: This study sought to investigate the role of one-off non-contrast whole-body MRI (WB MRI) in the screening of asymptomatic TP53 mutation carriers aged over 18 years. Clinical and psychological endpoints were assessed. Scans were read by radiologists blinded to participant carrier status. The incidence of malignancies diagnosed in TP53 mutation carriers against general population controls was calculated. The incidences of non-malignant relevant disease and irrelevant disease were measured, as well as the number of investigations required to determine relevance of findings. A series of questionnaires is used to assess the psychological impact of screening. Results: 44 TP53 mutation carriers and 44 population controls were recruited. In TP53 mutation carriers, six of 44 (13.6%, 95% CI: 5.2%-27.4%) participants were diagnosed with cancer during the study, all of which would be considered life threatening if untreated. Two were found to have two primary cancers. Two participants with cancer had abnormalities on the MRI which were initially thought to be benign (a pericardial cyst and a uterine fibroid) but transpired to be sarcomas. No controls were diagnosed with cancer. Fifteen carriers (34.1%, 95% CI: 20.5%-49.9%) and 7 controls (15.9%, 95% CI: 6.6%-30.1%) underwent further investigations following the WB MRI for abnormalities that transpired to be benign (p = 0.049). To date, there is no evidence of clinically significant adverse psychosocial effects. Conclusions: The cancer detection rate in this group justifies a minimum baseline non-contrast WB MRI in germline TP53 mutation carriers. Clinical trial information: NCT01737255.