Comparison of ultrasound and MRI informativeness for detection and treatment monitoring of cervical cancer metastases in the vagina.

Aim: To assess ultrasound (US) method informativeness in the recurrence detection and treatment monitoring of patients with cervical cancer metastases in the vagina via comparing the US and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data.

Materials And Methods: 42 patients with recurrence of cervical cancer were examined by transvaginal US and MRI. Data on radiation diagnostics of cervical cancer metastasis in the vagina were compared with pathomorphological data. US and MRI data on the metastatic tumors size were compared.

Results: The diagnostic efficiency of US and MRI for recurrence detection was determined. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of US were 92.8; 93.3 and 93.3%, respectively, and of MRI - 95.2; 96.6 and 95.8%, respectively. The informativeness of MRI was higher than US in cervical cancer recurrences detection, but the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). US can provide data as informative as MRI for estimation of metastases sizes in the vagina. The mean difference between MRI measurements and US measurements of the metastases volume was 0.79 mm (95% CI 0.62-0.95 cm).

Conclusions: US as a cheaper and simpler method could be an alternative for metastases detecting and treatment monitoring, especially if there are contraindications to MRI.