Whole-Body MRI Surveillance—Baseline Findings in the Swedish Multicentre Hereditary TP53-Related Cancer Syndrome Study (SWEP53)

Abstract

Simple SummaryIndividuals who are born with a disease-causing variant of the TP53 gene (hereditary TP53-related cancer syndrome, hTP53rc), also known as the Li–Fraumeni syndrome, have a very high (70–100%) lifetime risk of developing cancer and at younger ages. Carriers are also prone to develop secondary tumours due to irradiation. Current guidelines recommend surveillance programmes within studies and the use of non-irradiation modalities such as whole-body MRI (WB-MRI). In 2016, the Swedish TP53 study (SWEP53) started inclusion, offering a surveillance program including WB-MRI. With this study, we aimed to describe the rate, anatomical distribution of malignant, indeterminate, and benign imaging findings as well as the associated further workup generated by the baseline WB-MRI in adult study participants. Our study identified the need of further workup in 19/61 participants, of whom three patients had a new cancer. WB-MRI appears to be a valuable surveillance strategy in families with hTP53rc syndrome. A surveillance strategy of the heritable TP53-related cancer syndrome (hTP53rc), commonly referred to as the Li–Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), is studied in a prospective observational nationwide multi-centre study in Sweden (SWEP53). The aim of this sub-study is to evaluate whole-body MRI (WB-MRI) regarding the rate of malignant, indeterminate, and benign imaging findings and the associated further workup generated by the baseline examination. Individuals with hTP53rc were enrolled in a surveillance program including annual whole-body MRI (WB-MRI), brain-MRI, and in female carriers, dedicated breast MRI. A total of 68 adults ≥18 years old have been enrolled to date. Of these, 61 fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the baseline MRI scan. In total, 42 showed a normal scan, while 19 (31%) needed further workup, of whom three individuals (3/19 = 16%) were diagnosed with asymptomatic malignant tumours (thyroid cancer, disseminated upper GI cancer, and liver metastasis from a previous breast cancer). Forty-three participants were women, of whom 21 had performed risk-reducing mastectomy prior to inclusion. The remaining were monitored with breast MRI, and no breast tumours were detected on baseline MRI. WB-MRI has the potential to identify asymptomatic tumours in individuals with hTP53rc syndrome. The challenge is to adequately and efficiently investigate all indeterminate findings. Thus, a multidisciplinary team should be considered in surveillance programs for individuals with hTP53rc syndrome.