MR staging in carcinoma of the endometrium and carcinoma of the cervix

This study aimed to evaluate MR as an imaging modality for the assessment of myometrial and cervical invasion in endometrial carcinoma and for the assessment of parametrial and lymph node involvement in cervical carcinoma. Twenty-eight patients with a preoperative histological diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma/cervical carcinoma were included in the study. The findings were compared with the surgical staging and the histopathological report of the hysterectomy specimen. Accuracy in detecting myometrial and cervical involvement in patients with endometrial carcinoma was 78% for both. Accuracy in detecting parametrial and lymph node involvement in patients with cervical carcinoma was 71% and 86% respectively. MR is a reliable method for preoperative assessment of endometrial and cervical carcinoma. It helps decide operability, the type of operation and aids in the selection of patients who need to be considered for specialist referral to a gynaecologist oncologist.