Addition of functional imaging in preoperative treatment planning of endometrial malignancies

Abstract

Objective: This study was enrolled to assess the beneficial addition of functional MR imaging in the staging and preoperative planning of   endometrial carcinoma compare with surgical and histopathological findings.

Methods: A one year prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from 10/3/2016 to 15/4/2017, at the Radiology department, Bab Elsharia University Hospital and private center. Forty seven patients with diagnosis of endometrial and cervical carcinoma, referred to radiology department for preoperative staging by Function MRI.

Results: the mean and standard deviation of age was 53±7.2. The difference between T2WI, DWI and DCE-MRI against final surgical pathology in obtaining myometrial invasion was (0.001 vs. 0.07, 0.08 respectively), parametrial invasion (0.005 vs. 0.31, 0.29 respectively). Accuracies in assigning lymph node metastasis between three sequences were 66%, 83% and 78% respectively. Staging accuracy was found to be more accurate in DWI and DCE-MRI (86% and 88% vs. 70% for T2WI).

Conclusion: Magnetic resonance imaging is a good, safe, accurate and non-invasive imaging modality in staging of endometrial carcinoma. It can be used as a first line radiological investigation in patients with endometrial carcinoma for treatment planning including decide operability, radicality, the type of operation and aids in the selection of patients who are in need to surgical treatment alone or adjunctive chemo-radiological therapy.