Myeloma Response Assessment and Diagnosis System (MY-RADS): strategies for practice implementation

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Medical Imaging
• Oncology
• Hematology

Background:

• Structured reporting systems, starting with BI-RADS in 1993, are preferred by healthcare providers for reducing variability and increasing confidence.
• Whole-body MRI (WBMRI) is recommended by the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) as a first-line imaging modality for myeloma diagnosis.
• WBMRI demonstrates comparable or superior sensitivity and specificity to PET/CT in detecting bone marrow involvement in myeloma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and promote the MY-RADS system for standardized whole-body MRI acquisition, interpretation, and response assessment in myeloma patients.
• To reduce inter-reader variability in the interpretation and reporting of WBMRI studies for myeloma.
• To provide a template for radiologists, especially those less experienced with WBMRI, to guide interpretation of bone marrow abnormalities.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of the MY-RADS reporting system for whole-body MRI studies in myeloma.
• Focus on promoting uniformity in imaging acquisition, diagnostic criteria, and response assessment.
• Creation of a standardized report template to aid radiologist interpretation.

Main Results:

• MY-RADS aims to standardize WBMRI interpretation, reducing variability among radiologists.
• The system facilitates consistent characterization of bone marrow abnormalities in myeloma.
• A standardized report template assists radiologists in interpreting challenging WBMRI studies.

Conclusions:

• The MY-RADS system is essential for standardizing whole-body MRI in myeloma diagnostics.
• Uniformity in reporting enhances diagnostic confidence and facilitates better patient management.
• MY-RADS supports radiologists by providing a structured approach to interpreting WBMRI for myeloma.