THE ROLE OF CYSTOSCOPY IN THE STAGING OF CERVICAL CANCER

Abstract

(Objectives) For the staging of cervical cancer, we investigated the relationship between computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (CT/MRI) and cystoscopy and evaluated the need for cystoscopy to diagnose bladder invasion resulting from cervical cancer. (Patients and Methods) We retrospectively reviewed the patients who underwent cystoscopy because of a diagnosis of bladder invasion of cervical cancer from April 2012 to March 2017 in our hospital. A total of 217 women (median age 53 years old) underwent cystoscopy. We also reviewed whether or not there were findings showing bladder wall infiltration on CT/MRI and cystoscopy. (Results) CT was performed in all cases, and MRI was performed in 216 cases. Seventy cases were judged to have possible bladder infiltration by CT, and 35 were judged to have possible bladder infiltration by MRI. In cystoscopy, 24 cases were reported to have "suspicion of bladder invasion" by urologists, but only 12 cases had bladder mucosal findings with "ridges and furrows" (defined as bladder infiltration without a bladder biopsy in this study). The sensitivity and negative predictive values of CT/MRI were both 100%. Only one case underwent a bladder biopsy, and the histological diagnosis was cystitis. (Conclusions) The findings of our investigation suggested that cystoscopy is not required when there were no obvious findings of bladder invasion by CT/MRI at the clinical staging of cervical cancer.