title: Comparison of prognostic value of MRI and FIGO stage among patients with cervical carcinoma treated with radiotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficacy of MRI and FIGO stage, we performed retrospective multicenter analysis of patients with Stage II-III disease treated with radiation alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  From three institutions, 164 patients diagnosed with cervical carcinoma were entered into the study. The majority of this cohort received intracavitary brachytherapy combined with external beam radiotherapy (n = 161). Uni- and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the prognostic factors for overall survival (OAS), disease-free survival (DFS), pelvic control (PC), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 5-year OAS, DFS, PC, and DMFS rates were 68.8%, 60.4%, 77.4%, and 71.7%, respectively. Using uni- and multivariate analyses, both large tumor size/volume and positive lymph node enlargement (LN) showed a significantly unfavorable influence on survival and local and/or distant failure (p < 0.05). Using these two prognostic factors, patients were divided into three subgroups; the 5-year DFS rates of patients with risk 0 (volume </=50 cc and negative LN), 1 (volume >50 cc or positive LN), and 2 (volume >50 cc and positive LN) were 72.9%, 53.3%, and 26.1%, respectively (p < 0.0001). Among patients with volume </=50 cc, disease stage proved to be a significantly prognostic factor of OAS, DFS, and PC (p < 0.05). However, these correlations were not observed in the large volume group (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRI will provide more useful and practical information than will FIGO stage classification for patients with bulky disease, although this will remain a prognostic factor for patients with nonbulky disease (volume </=50 cc). With the aid of MRI, accurate and practical evaluation of clinical outcome could be achieved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Aichi Cancer Center, Aichi, Japan. 109103@aichi-cc.jp
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kodaira
authors.forename: Nobukazu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fuwa
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toita
authors.forename: Yoshihito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nomoto
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuzuya
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Furutani
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D012002:Rectal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001745:Urinary Bladder Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*