Cervical carcinoma recurrences and their treatment at the University of Freiburg's Women's Clinic from 1976 to 1985

From 1976 to 1985 151 recurrent carcinomas of the uterine cervix were diagnosed and in 118 cases they have been treated at the Gynaecological Centre of the University of Freiburg. The recurrences were divided according to the localisation scheme of Munnell and Bonney. 55 patients (47%) received radiotherapy, 22 (19%) surgery, 12 (10%) combined therapy of surgery and radiotherapy and 13 women (11%) chemotherapy or hormone therapy. 16 patients (13%) received a different type of therapy. We found most of the recurrences three or four years after the primary therapy. There was no correlation between the point of time of diagnosis of the recurrences and the prognosis. The distribution of the histology was no parameter for the OAS. The operative procedure demonstrates better results than the radiotherapy at recurrences in the centre of the pelvis--but there is no significance. The radiotherapy achieves significant better results than the operative treatment when we have large recurrences in the whole pelvis. If there is an answer of the tumour to the therapy, the OAS gets better--in these cases we should use, in spite of the risk of more side effects, the whole therapeutic range.     

Use of preoperative MR imaging in the management of endometrial carcinoma: cost analysis

PURPOSE: To compare the cost of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and its ability to direct the use of lymph node dissection with the cost and ability of conventional surgery for the staging of endometrial carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Preoperative MR images of 25 patients who underwent hysterectomy for endometrial carcinoma were retrospectively evaluated. MR imaging results were compared with those of intraoperative gross dissection of the uterus and final histopathologic examination. Medicare reimbursements for two scenarios were compared in each patient. In the MR imaging scenario, the necessity for lymph node dissection was based on MR imaging results and histologic findings at biopsy. In the actual scenario, lymph node dissection was performed at the surgeon's discretion on the basis of findings at gross dissection of the uterus and histologic examination at biopsy. RESULTS: The cost of the MR imaging scenario, as defined by Medicare reimbursements, was 1% ($1, 265/$148,500) less than that of the actual scenario. In the MR imaging scenario, all patients who required lymph node dissection received it, and 86% of the lymph node dissections performed were necessary. In the actual scenario, one necessary lymph node dissection was not performed, and only 31% of the lymph node dissections performed were necessary. CONCLUSION: Staging with MR imaging has costs and accuracy similar to those of the current method of staging with intraoperative gross dissection of the uterus. In addition, MR imaging decreases the number of unnecessary lymph node dissections.     

子宫内膜息肉与早期子宫内膜癌的MRI信号特征分析

目的 分析子宫内膜息肉与早期子宫内膜癌的特征性MRI平扫表现,以期在无需静脉注射对比剂的情况下,提高两者术前鉴别诊断的准确性。方法 回顾性分析经手术病理证实的39例子宫内膜息肉和32例早期子宫内膜癌病人的MRI资料。采用独立样本t检验比较2组病人病变大小及DWI相对信号强度值。采用Pearson卡方检验分析2组病人MRI平扫信号特征,包括T2WI上病变内部信号特征(低信号纤维核心和高信号小囊),DWI上病变与正常肌层的信号强度差值,T2WI和DWI上病变周围线样高信号。结果与子宫内膜癌相比,子宫内膜息肉T2WI上有高信号小囊和低信号纤维核心表现者更多(P<0.05)。DWI上病变与子宫肌层信号强度差值比较,子宫内膜息肉(36.4±61.7)低于子宫内膜癌(229.8±94.8)(P<0.05)。子宫内膜息肉在T2WI、DWI上的病灶周边线样高信号表现均多于子宫内膜癌(P<0.05)。结论 子宫内膜息肉的MRI表现具有特征性,T2WI及DWI上病变周围线样高信号有助于鉴别子宫内膜息肉与子宫内膜癌。     

Prognosis and radiotherapy of endometrial carcinoma

The increase in the occurrence of corpus carcinoma and the influence that special problems (accompanying diseases, age, histology, radiation technique) have on the survival of the patient make it necessary to reconsider indication and technique in radiation. Even though 80% of the cases are in stage I which indicates a favourable prognosis for surgical treatment, many new therapeutical questions have presented themselves and should not, in the future, need to be answered by the experience in clinics or in medical centers alone. Patients with corpus carcinoma should therefore not be treated on the basis of a fixed program, rather, through a flexible program suited to the individual patient's needs. Aside from the demands for precise histological diagnosis (including grading) and better grouping of the stages (pelvic and paraaortic lymphnode involvement in stage I at least 10%, in stage II 40%!) future analysis should be improved, resulting in a decision for higher grading or an increase of the dose in radiation therapy of the tumor in the 2. and 3. stages. In order to accomplish this, better techniques in radiation therapy and communication with the gynecologists and pathologists is necessary, so that a mutual concept for therapy, improving the chances of cure can be developed. Proof that this is entirely possible can be seen in statistics of the last years (Annual Report 1981, results from Department of Gynecology, Freiburg i. Br.).     

MR staging of endometrial carcinoma

Endometrial cancer is the second most common gynaecological malignancy. The usual presentation with post-menopausal bleeding results in an early diagnosis in most cases and thus there is opportunity for cure. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is pivotal in the decision-making process regarding treatment options. We present a review of the magnetic resonance (MR) findings to illustrate its role in the staging of endometrial cancer.     

子宫内膜癌的MRI诊断进展

子宫内膜癌在女性生殖系统恶性肿瘤中占首位,存在内源性和外源性高危因素,术前分期对治疗有重要影响,预后与组织学类型及分期也密切相关。MRI检查在子宫内膜癌的诊断中具有非常重要的价值,通过采用适当的检查技术和扫描方案,能够对子宫内膜癌正确诊断和准确分期,有助于临床治疗计划的制定,并在随访复查中发挥重要作用。     

子宫内膜癌的MRI诊断进展

子宫内膜癌在女性生殖系统恶性肿瘤中占首位,存在内源性和外源性高危因素,术前分期对治疗有重要影响,预后与组织学类型及分期也密切相关。MRI检查在子宫内膜癌的诊断中具有非常重要的价值,通过采用适当的检查技术和扫描方案,能够对子宫内膜癌正确诊断和准确分期,有助于临床治疗计划的制定,并在随访复查中发挥重要作用。     

Lung metastases in cervical and endometrial carcinoma.

Carcinoma of the cervix or endometrium was evaluated in 1,021 patients at the Joint Center for Radiation Therapy, Boston, between July 1968 and December 1977. The patients were retrospectively evaluated for the presence of lung metastases, appearing initially or during their disease course. On chest radiography, 42 patients were found to have metastases. Lung metastases were seen in 5.1% of patients with carcinoma of the cervix and in 3.6% of patients with carcinoma of the endometrium. Median time from initial disease staging to detection of lung metastases was 12 months. Once pulmonary spread was discovered, 80% of patients expired within 1 year. Lung nodules varied greatly in size. In 11 patients they were solitary; five patients had pleural effusions; three had mediastinal or hilar adenopathy; and none had excavation.     

功能磁共振成像在子宫内膜癌中的应用及进展

子宫内膜癌是女性生殖系统最常见的恶性肿瘤之一,严重威胁妇女健康.MRI具有良好的软组织分辨力,能多方位、多层面成像,因此成为妇科肿瘤的重要检查方法.常规MRI在子宫内膜癌的诊断及分期等方面具有重要价值,但也存在局限性.随着影像学技术的快速发展,MRI已从单纯的形态解剖学成像发展为功能成像,以动态增强MRI和扩散加权成像为代表的功能成像在子宫内膜癌的诊断和分期方面有着巨大的潜能.就功能磁共振成像在子宫内膜癌中的应用及进展予以综述.     

Chest wall recurrences after operation and postoperative irradiation of mammary carcinoma.

The frequency of recurrences in a material of 463 patients with mammary carcinoma following treatment by surgery with or without postoperative roentgen or cobalt irradiation to the operation area and regional lymph nodes is analysed. Postoperative irradiation to the operation area seems to prevent the chest wall recurrences even in stage I mammary carcinoma.     

The radiosensitivity of endometrial carcinoma.

An analysis of all cases (121) of endometrial carcinoma treated by pre-operative radium in the uterine cavity revealed that the menopausal status of a patient affects the radiosensitivity of her tumour. It was found that if the patient is more than ten years post-menopausal at time of diagnosis her carcinoma will be more resistant to radiation. The technique used by the authors is adequate in eradicating a considerable percentage (68%) of endometrial carcinomas.     

CT evaluation of myometrium invasion in endometrial carcinoma

Myometrium invasion (M) is one of the principal prognostic factors in the early clinical stages of endometrial carcinoma and can be evaluated presurgically only by CT, although with conflicting results. We compared CT of 65 patients with early clinical stage endometrial carcinomas with the corresponding anatomopathological findings. Myometrial infiltration of the same degree may present different CT images. Therefore, we identified five fundamental CT patterns, each of which corresponded to one of the three degrees of myometrium infiltration (M1, M2, M3). Furthermore, we defined the infiltration index as the ratio of minimum free myometrium to maximum free myometrium. Overall diagnostic accuracy was 76%; however, for clinical purposes CT provided adequate guidelines for therapeutic decisions in 93% of the cases. These criteria proved to be less reliable in elderly women with atrophic myometria, especially when the neoplasia was polypoid in shape.     

The value of and indications for radiotherapy in endometrial carcinoma

Today the endometrial carcinoma is the most frequent malignant tumor found in female genital tract. Endometrial carcinoma ought to be operated in all cases, if possible. Traditionally some form of adjuvant radiotherapy has been given. Despite the large number of patients treated by combined therapy over the last 30 years, surprisingly there is a lack of hard data on which to establish a theory for an improved outcome. It is generally accepted that the risk of local relapses in the vagina is lowered when postoperative vaginal irradiation is applied. The question of the value of additional external irradiation in stage I endometrial cancer still is unsettled. Only two prospective studies led to the conclusion that only patients with poorly differentiated tumors and with deep infiltration of the myometrium might benefit from additional external radiotherapy. Therefore a simple score for these risk factors is proposed enabling assignment into patient groups of similar risk on the base of a point system due to individual prognostic factors. With a score of one to two points prognosis is very good and adjuvant irradiation seems not to be necessary. With three to four points local vaginal irradiation is recommended, with five and more points additionally external beam irradiation to the pelvis should be given. This is necessary in more than the half of the operated cases of endometrial carcinoma. The indication for such a treatment has become more individual and "high risk" cases are treated more intensively, but "low risk" cases have to be excepted from unnecessary adjuvant therapy. In order to judge an individual case of endometrial cancer histopathologic prognosticators have to be considered. Typical adenocarcinomas have a five-year survival of more than 80%, but unfavourable subtypes (adenosquamous, clear-cell, serous-papillary carcinomas) of only 40%, respectively. Tumor grading and depth of myometrial invasion are of high importance for individual prognosis. The new histopathologic staging system of FIGO (1988) takes these items into account. Only patients with severe internal diseases should be treated with radiation therapy alone. Although radiation therapy alone can cure endometrial cancer (five-year-survival approximately 60%), the survival figures are poorer than for the operation (five-year survival 80%, respectively). It should be outlined that in inoperable cases radiotherapy is the best form of treatment.     

子宫内膜癌的MRI诊断

目的 :探讨子宫内膜癌的MRI表现特征 ,进一步提高该病诊断符合率。方法 :回顾性分析 3 0例完整的子宫内膜癌的MRI资料。MRI检查前 2 9例经诊断性刮宫病理检查确诊 ,仅 1例疑诊。MRI检查后 2～ 9d内手术。术式均为全宫切除术 ,手术标本送病理检查。结果 :① 13例表现为整个子宫不同程度增大。② 14例表现为宫腔增大 ,7例病灶局限在粘膜内 ,子宫肌层正常。宫腔粘膜加上腔内液体的厚度为 1.5～ 2 .7cm ,在增强后脂肪抑制序列上单纯的粘膜厚度为 0 .3～0 .5cm。③ 10例为浅肌层侵犯 ,13例为深肌层侵犯 ,5例伴有宫颈管的侵犯。④盆腔窃血征 13例。⑤盆腔淋巴结及附件受累 4例。结论 :MRI检查能准确显示病变范围、肌层受侵深度和盆腔淋巴结转移情况。     

DWI与MRI动态增强扫描在子宫内膜癌诊断中的应用

目的：探讨DWI与MRI动态增强扫描对子宫内膜癌的诊断及鉴别诊断价值。方法：收集20例健康志愿者及121例子宫内膜癌患者,受试者均行MRI常规T₁WI、T₂WI、DWI及动态增强扫描,测量ADC值,绘制TIC,比较不同时相信号强化差异,对照分析正常子宫内膜、子宫内膜癌的DWI与动态增强扫描特征。结果：正常子宫内膜的ADC值（1.483±0.233）×10^-3 mm²/s,显著高于子宫内膜癌的ADC值（0.867±0.175）×10^-3 mm²/s;动态增强扫描时子宫内膜癌主要表现为TIC Ⅰ型,正常子宫内膜则表现为TIC Ⅲ型。在不同时相（30、60、90、120、150 s）信号强化差异方面,正常子宫内膜显著高于子宫内膜癌（均P<0.05）。2种检查方式对子宫内膜癌浸润的诊断敏感度、特异度和准确率差异均有统计学意义（均P<0.05）。结论：在子宫内膜癌浸润程度判断方面DWI优于MRI动态增强扫描,可为子宫内膜癌早期诊断提供临床依据。