Multiparameter magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of cancer of the cervix uteri

Abstract

Cancer of the cervix uteri (CCU) ranks third in the incidence of malignancies in women. The choice of CCU treatment mainly depends on the extent of the tumor process, i.e. the stage of the disease. Determining the stage of CCU is based on the clinical classification of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) (2009) and has a number of substantial limitations in evaluating parametrial invasion, tumor spread to the pelvic wall, and involvement of regional lymph nodes and in determining the true tumor sizes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is now the method of choice in staging invasive CCU.Multiparameter MRI will be able to enhance the efficiency of diagnosing microinvasive CCU as well (FIGO 2009), to plan surgical and/or chemoradiation treatment, to evaluate its efficiency, and to diagnose locally recurrent CCU.

Keywords

• cancer of the cervix uteri
• international federation of gynecology and obstetrics
• magnetic resonance imaging
• diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images
• measured diffusion coefficient
• dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging
• positron emission tomography