Overview

• The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust has integrated whole-body MRI scanning into its treatment pathway for transplant patients.
• A study of 70 myeloma patients published in the Blood Cancer Journal found that MRI detected residual disease in one in three patients and that positive MRI findings were linked to significantly shorter overall survival.
• Whole-body MRI offers a non-invasive, radiation-free alternative to CT and X-ray imaging that requires no intravenous injections, making it suitable for ongoing patient surveillance.
• Clinicians say the detailed imaging insights can guide personalised treatment adjustments by revealing treatment response and early signs of relapse undetected by standard blood tests and biopsies.
• Air Vice-Marshal Fin Monahan, an RAF veteran diagnosed with myeloma in 2009, credits the technique with earlier relapse detection, extending his life and enabling his return to flying jets.