Clinical trial NCT02218502: Study Into a New Diagnostic Tool (Simple Ultrasound-based Rules) in Patients With Adnexal Masses
Official title: Regional Study Into the Performance and Cost-effectiveness of Simple Ultrasound-based Rules Compared to the Currently Used Risk of Malignancy Index in the Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: TERMINATED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Ovarian Carcinoma
Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian Mass
Ovarian Cyst
Keywords: Ovarian cancer
Diagnosis
Risk of Malignancy Index
RMI
Ultrasound
Simple ultrasound-based rules
DW-MRI
Subjective assessment
Lead sponsor: Maastricht University Medical Center
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Laurentius Hospital Roermond
name: St.Jans Gasthuis Weert
name: VieCuri Medical Centre
name: Orbis Medical Centre
First posted: 2014-08-18
Enrollment: 50
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: DIAGNOSTIC

Brief summary: This study is performed to compare the diagnostic performance and cost-effectiveness of different diagnostic methods for differentiating benign from malignant adnexal (ovary or Fallopian tube) masses: the Risk of Malignancy Index (RMI) will be compared with a two-step triage test called "simple ultrasound-based rules" supplemented -if necessary- with either subjective assessment by an expert sonographer or Diffusion Weighted - Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DW-MRI). The investigators will test the hypothesis that this two-step triage test will have better diagnostic accuracy than the RMI and therefore will improve the management of women with adnexal masses.

Detailed description: Estimating whether an adnexal mass is malignant or not is essential in the preoperative management of adnexal masses. Recognizing cancer means treatment is not delayed and appropriate staging or debulking surgery can be carried out after referral to specialized surgical centers. Vice versa, benign lesions may be managed conservatively or with minimal invasive surgery in non-centre hospitals. This will limit morbidity and will avoid unnecessary costs: laparoscopic surgery offers lower estimated blood loss, shorter hospital stay, and fewer postoperative complications with an improved quality of life and faster return to normal functioning.

There are several methods to distinguish benign from malignant adnexal masses. The commonly used method in clinical practice is the Risk of Malignancy Index (RMI). The RMI is an easy to use scoring system recommended by many national guidelines concerning the management of ovarian masses, including the national guideline in the Netherlands. The RMI combines ultrasound variables, menopausal status and serum CA125 into a score used to predict the risk of ovarian cancer before surgery. However, the reported sensitivity and specificity of RMI at a cut-off value of 200 are relatively low; 75-80% and 85-90%, respectively.

Another method called 'simple ultrasound-based rules' (simple rules), uses different morphological ultrasound features of adnexal masses (without including menopausal status or serum CA125 measurement). It includes five simple ultrasound-based rules to predict malignancy (M-rules) and five rules to predict a benign tumor (B-rules). If both or none of the M- and B-rules are met (20% of the patients) the test is inconclusive. Recent reports show that simple rules might be superior to the RMI. In adnexal masses for which the simple ultrasound rules yield an inconclusive result, subjective assessment of Gray-scale and color Doppler ultrasound images by an experienced ultrasound examiner can be used as a second stage test to achieve an optimal diagnostic performance. Subjective assessment by an expert sonographer is superior to any scoring system or mathematical model when classifying adnexal masses as benign or malignant. However, it is not feasible and efficient that every patient would undergo an expert ultrasonography. Therefore, this method is better used as a second stage test.

Another option is to use Diffusion Weighted - Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DW-MRI) as a second stage test, when the simple rules yield an inconclusive result. The use of MRI - when interpret by specialized radiologists- also seems to be superior to RMI in the preoperative identification of adnexal masses.

The Risk of Malignancy Index (RMI) is the current standard in differentiating benign from malignant adnexal masses. The simple ultrasound-based rules as a first stage triage test followed by either subjective assessment by an experienced ultrasound examiner or DW-MRI in case the simple rules are inconclusive, is the test of comparison. Both the RMI and the simple rules will be performed in the regional hospitals and MUMC+ by general gynaecologists during the same ultrasound scan. Only when the simple rules are inconclusive the patient will be referred to the MUMC+ for a second stage test. From previous publications it can be deducted that this will be in approximately 20% of patients. Approximately 80% of patients will not need any additional second stage test.

The histology of the surgically removed adnexal masses is the clinical reference standard.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Female patient;
* Diagnosed in one of the participating centers with at least one pelvic mass that is suspected to be of ovarian origin;
* Are to undergo surgery in order to obtain a final histological diagnosis;
* 18 years of age or older.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Pregnant patients;
* Patients aged under 18 years;
* Patients in whom the surgery does not take place, or takes place more than 120 days after RMI and simple ultrasound-based rules are performed;
* Patients with a prior bilateral oophorectomy;
* Patients with insufficient or missing data;
* Patients who do not give or are incapable of giving an informed consent;
* Patients who are not able or willing to travel to the center hospital for additional diagnostic procedures.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Sensitivity and specificity
timeFrame: This analysis will take place after completing the inclusion of patients (approx. 2 years)
measure: Likelihood ratios
timeFrame: This analysis will take place after completing the inclusion of patients (approx. 2 years)
measure: positive and negative predictive values
timeFrame: This analysis will take place after completing the inclusion of patients (approx. 2 years)
measure: cost-effectiveness
timeFrame: This analysis will take place after completing the inclusion of patients (approx. 2 years)
measure: Budget Impact Analysis (BIA)
timeFrame: This analysis will take place after completing the inclusion of patients (approx. 2 years)
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Maastricht
country: Netherlands
facility: Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC+)
city: Roermond
country: Netherlands
facility: Laurentius Ziekenhuis Roermond
city: Sittard
country: Netherlands
facility: Orbis Medical Sittard
city: Venlo
country: Netherlands
facility: VieCuri Venlo
city: Weert
country: Netherlands
facility: St.Jans Gasthuis Weert
Study officials:
affiliation: Maastricht University Medical Center
name: Evelyne MJ Meys, LLM, BsC
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
affiliation: Maastricht University Medical Center
name: Toon van Gorp, MD, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Weber S, McCann CK, Boruta DM, Schorge JO, Growdon WB. Laparoscopic surgical staging of early ovarian cancer. Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2011;4(3-4):117-22.
citation: Timmerman D, Ameye L, Fischerova D, Epstein E, Melis GB, Guerriero S, Van Holsbeke C, Savelli L, Fruscio R, Lissoni AA, Testa AC, Veldman J, Vergote I, Van Huffel S, Bourne T, Valentin L. Simple ultrasound rules to distinguish between benign and malignant adnexal masses before surgery: prospective validation by IOTA group. BMJ. 2010 Dec 14;341:c6839. doi: 10.1136/bmj.c6839.
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