Transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound for monitoring the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced cervical cancer.
BACKGROUND
To evaluate the role of transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound in monitoring the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally-advanced cervical cancer.


METHODS
Fourteen patients with locally-advanced cervical cancer, scheduled for neoadjuvant chemotherapy, were investigated with transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonography before and at the completion of chemotherapy in order to study hemodynamic changes in cervical and intratumoral vessels. Twenty healthy women matched for age and parity served as a control group. Statistical analysis was performed with Student's t test for paired data.


RESULTS
Statistically different blood flow recording between patients with cervical cancer and healthy controls could be observed only in intratumoral vessels. A significant increase of RI and PI values, recorded in both cervical artery and intratumoral vessels, have been observed in the group of patients responding to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In patients with stable disease at the completion of chemotherapy, flow characteristics did not change significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
Preliminary results of our study suggest that transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound evaluation of flow characteristics in the cervical and intratumoral vessels might be useful in monitoring the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with invasive cervical cancer.
Greco
P
P
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Bari, Italy.
Cormio
G
G
Vimercati
A
A
Nacci
G
G
di Vagno
G
G
Loverro
G
G
Selvaggi
L
L
D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D014621:Vagina; D014655:Vascular Resistance