Comparison of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging results with postoperative pathologic results in early stage uterine cervical cancer

Objective: To compare the preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of early stage cervical cancer patients with their postoperative hystopathologic results. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study evaluating oncology charts of 30 early-stage cervical carcinoma patients who were diagnosed and underwent surgery between July 2006 to August 2011 at the present institution. Preoperative MRI staging, clinical staging, and histopathologic staging results were compared. Results: Seven patients had clinically correct stage and 20 patients had correct MRI staging according to histopathology. MRI staging revealed 66% sensitivity and it was strongly correlated with pathologic staging. Cervical ring invasion was present in 20 patients pathologically, whereas 13 patients were diagnosed positive on MRI evaluation. Among ten patients without cervical ring invasion, MRI diagnosed six of them correctly. Of the 11 positive parametrial invasion patients diagnosed pathologically, MRI ruled out only seven of them. Conclusion: Preoperative MRI staging might be a better tool to stage cervical cancer than clinical staging. MRI evaluates parametrial invasion and cervical ring involvement appropriately.