AJR systematic review and meta-analysis on MRI surveillance for postsurgical musculoskeletal soft-tissue sarcomas

According to an accepted manuscript published in ARRS' American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR), MRI-based surveillance after surgical treatment of musculoskeletal soft-tissue sarcomas (STS) shows utility for detecting clinically occult local recurrences (LRs), potentially improving patient outcomes.

In this AJR systematic review and meta-analysis, Gorelik et al. systematically searched multiple electronic databases through November 2022 for controlled trials and cohort studies on the usefulness of MRI-based surveillance for musculoskeletal STS. A total of 4,821 unique titles and abstracts were identified. After screening for eligibility and snowball sampling, 19 studies were included; all were retrospective cohorts.

Using an adapted Newcastle-Ottawa scale for assessing bias risk, random effects meta-analyses of the proportion of LRs discovered by MRI, as opposed to clinically, were conducted. The association of low- versus high-intensity surveillance—high intensity defined as at least one local surveillance imaging examination for low-risk tumors, as well as at least three for high-risk tumors during the first 2 posttreatment years—with the proportion of LR detected on MRI was assessed with a chi-square test of subgroup differences.

Ultimately, when MRI-based surveillance of musculoskeletal STSs was used at a high intensity, 53% (95% CI, 36–71%) of LRs were discovered with MRI. Four studies reported trends toward better survival for imaging-detected LRs or with more frequent imaging use.

Reference:

Usefulness of MRI-based local surveillance after surgical treatment of musculoskeletal soft-tissue sarcomas: A systematic review and meta-analysis,American Journal of Roentgenology,doi 10.2214/AJR.22.28865