The Role of 2D/3D Ultrasound to Assess the Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer

Role of Pelvic Ultrasound in Predicting the Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer

Background/Objectives: The optimal treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) is debated. The proposed treatments are concomitant chemoradiotherapy plus brachytherapy (cCTRT-B) or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by radical surgery (RS). The prediction NACT response is crucial for identifying responder patients who may benefit from subsequent radical surgery. The aim of this study was to find ultrasound characteristics to predict the response to NACT in patients with LACC. Methods: Consecutive patients with diagnoses of LACC were prospectively enrolled. According to FIGO staging criteria, all IB2-IIIC patients underwent three cycles of platinum-based NACT followed by radical surgery. Patients were evaluated by pelvic ultrasound one week before NACT (T0) and three weeks after the last cycle of chemotherapy (T1). The parameters analysed were volume of the lesion, tumor/uterus volume ratio, parametrial infiltration, color score, resistance (RIUA) and pulsatility (PIUA) indices of uterine arteries (UA). Results: From July 2019 to April 2023, 40 patients were enrolled. A significant decrease in tumor volume (p < 0.01) and a reduced parametrial infiltration after NACT were observed (p < 0.01). The results of the unadjusted and adjusted logistic models showed that age and RIUA positively affect the estimated probability of treatment response (p < 0.01). According to the univariate and multivariate model, RIUA greater than 0.72 ensures 87% sensitivity and 70% specificity with 82.5% accuracy in predicting tumor reduction. Conclusions: Patients over 54 with a RIUA above 0.72 are more likely to respond to NACT. Pelvic ultrasound proved to be a useful tool for predicting NACT response in LACC patients.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Pretreatment Evaluation and Follow-Up of Invasive Cancer of the Cervix: 2023 Update

Cervical cancer is a common gynecological malignancy worldwide. Cervical cancer is staged based on the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) classification system, which was revised in 2018 to incorporate radiologic and pathologic data. Imaging plays an important role in pretreatment assessment including initial staging and treatment response assessment of cervical cancer. Accurate determination of tumor size, local extension, and nodal and distant metastases is important for treatment selection and for prognostication. Although local recurrence can be diagnosed by physical examination, imaging plays a critical role in detection and follow-up of local and distant recurrence and subsequent treatment selection. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision process support the systematic analysis of the medical literature from peer reviewed journals. Established methodology principles such as Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE are adapted to evaluate the evidence. The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method User Manual provides the methodology to determine the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where peer reviewed literature is lacking or equivocal, experts may be the primary evidentiary source available to formulate a recommendation.

Comparison Between 360° 3-D Transvaginal Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Assessment of Vaginal Invasion in Cervical Cancer: A Preliminary Report

Our goal was to estimate the agreement between 360° 3-D transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the vaginal invasion in cervical cancer and to discuss the clinical value of 360° 3-D TVUS. A total of 72 patients with untreated cervical cancer were included in the work. The percentage agreement between 2-D TVUS and MRI in assessing vaginal invasion (yes or no) was 77.8% (kappa, 0.400) and that between 360° 3-D TVUS and MRI was 97.2% (kappa, 0.873). The results of 2-D TVUS demonstrated the following agreement with those of MRI: 77.8% for the upper two-thirds of the vagina (kappa, 0.538), 83.3% for the lower third of the vagina (kappa, 0.471). The results of 360° 3-D TVUS demonstrated the following agreement with those of MRI: 95.8% for the upper two-thirds of the vagina (kappa, 0.907), 98.6% for the lower third of the vagina (kappa, 0.961). The results of 360° 3-D TVUS demonstrated good agreement with MRI, which is less costly and more readily available than MRI and should be considered in the pre-treatment work-up for cervical cancer.

Minimally invasive surgery in cervical cancer

In recent years, minimally invasive surgery has replaced open surgery for almost all surgical indications in gynecological practice. Recently, the results of the laparoscopic approach to cervical cancer (LACC) trial questioned the role of minimally invasive surgery for patients affected by early-stage cervical cancer. In the present paper, we discussed the current evidence regarding the adoption of minimally invasive surgery for patients with cervical cancer. We evaluated the current evidence focusing on four interesting features: 1) the impact of tumor volume; 2) reasons explaining worse outcomes of patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery; 3) methods to reduce the risk of recurrence during minimally invasive surgery; and 4) the effect of minimally invasive surgery in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. At the moment, in the light of current evidence, minimally invasive radical hysterectomy should be offered only in the context of clinical trials. Extensive counseling and appropriate patients' selection are needed. Further prospective evidence is warranted to identify the better approach for cervical cancer patients.

Updated applications of Ultrasound in Uterine Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is a common gynecologic malignancy worldwide. It is the fourth for both incidence and mortality. For cervical cancer, imaging and pathology assessments are incorporated in the revised 2018 Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system. Uses of imaging techniques for the pre-treatment work-up of cervical cancer have been increasing. Among imaging techniques for the evaluation of cervical cancer, ultrasound is cheaper, faster and widely available than other imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Advanced technique in ultrasound, such as three-dimension (3D) ultrasound and color Doppler, have improved the clinical application of ultrasound in cervical cancer. Ultrasound may provide highly accurate information on detecting tumor presence and evaluating local tumor extent if performed by ultrasound-trained gynecologists; the experience of readers is also critical for correct pretreatment staging and assessment of response to treatment. Sonographic images could be useful to predict response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with cervical cancer. This review article attempted to present the most updated specific applications of ultrasound in cervical cancer.