
MRI can determine if a patient has endometrial versus cervical cancer even when a biopsy can't make that distinction, according to a new study. Determining the primary site of a tumor helps determine appropriate cancer treatment.
The study, which is being presented during the American Roentgen Ray Society Annual Meeting on May 3 in Chicago, found that radiologists using MRI could correctly identify the primary site of cancer in 79% of cases (38/48 patients) when biopsy results are inconclusive.
Endometrial and cervical cancers are common cancers in women, said Heather He, MD/PhD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where the study was conducted under the direction of Dr. Iyer and Dr. Bhosale. "In about 3% of the cases, there is difficulty determining the primary cancer site," she added. "Knowing the primary cancer site means that we can give the patients the most appropriate therapy and save some patients from unnecessary surgery," Dr. He said.
The study also examined various MR sequences to determine which one was the most useful in making a diagnosis. "We found that sagittal T2 FSE weighted sequences and 2D and 3D T1 weighted dynamic enhanced sequences are the most helpful," Dr. He said.
Source: Eurekalert