Evaluation of the Possibilities of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Monitoring the Treatment of Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer occupies one of theleading places in cancer incidence in women. Preservation of residual tumor in patients with cervical cancer after completion of combined chemoradiotherapy is a prognostically unfavorable factor. Detection of an early tumor response to chemoradiation therapy is of great importance for choosing the optimal treatment tactics.Purpose: To study the possibilities of MRI in assessing the effectiveness of detecting an early tumor response in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer after combined chemoradiotherapy.Material and methods: The results of magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvic organs, data of laboratory, cytological and postoperative histological studies of 174 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer were analyzed and compared.MRI of the pelvic organs was performed before the start of treatment to assess the extent of the process (primary study) and 6 weeks after the completion of combined chemoradiotherapy to assess the effectiveness of the treatment and detect residual tumor (control study).Conclusion: Magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvic organs using a standard research protocol, including obtaining diffusion-weighted images and dynamic contrast studies, is a highly informative method for staging locally advanced cervical cancer and assessing the tumor response to treatment.