CMET-26. PERIOPERATIVE IMAGING OF BRAIN METASTASES: A EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF NEURO-ONCOLOGY (EANO) YOUNGSTERS SURVEY

BACKGROUND: Neurosurgical resection is an important treatment option in the multimodal therapy of brain metastases (BM). Perioperative imaging is established in primary brain tumors to assess the extent of resection. However, structured guidelines on the use of perioperative imaging for BM patients are so far missing. METHODS: The European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) Youngsters committee designed a comprehensive questionnaire on the use of perioperative imaging. The survey was distributed to physicians with neuro-oncologic focus via the EANO and the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) network. RESULTS: 120 physicians from non-European countries and European countries responded to the survey. 76/120 neurosurgeons, 18/120 radiation oncologists and 17/120 neurologists participated. 89/120 participants worked at academic hospitals and 39/40 participants worked in high patient volume centers as defined by >50 BM cases per year. Local standard operating procedures for perioperative imaging were applied by 94/120 physicians. The preferred preoperative imaging method represented MRI for 112/120 (93.3%) participants. Postsurgical imaging was routinely performed by 106/120 physicians. 77/120 participants indicated MRI as the preferred postoperative imaging method, however, only 71/120 performed postoperative MRI imaging within 72 hours after resection. No correlation of postsurgical MRI and localization at an academic hospital (58/79 [73.4%] vs. 19/27 [70.4%], p>0.05) or patient volume (49/71 [69%] vs 25/40 [62.5%], p>0.05) was evident. The most frequently indicated reason for postsurgical imaging was the assessment of extent of resection as participants indicated to adjust the radiotherapy plan or even considered re-surgery to achieve complete resection. CONCLUSIONS: This EANO survey indicates that preoperative MRI is the preferred imaging technique for the majority of physicians, whereas a high variability of postoperative neuroimaging routines including CT and MRI was observed. International guidelines for perioperative imaging with special focus on postoperative MRI are warranted in order to optimize perioperative treatment modalities for BM patients.