title: Power Doppler vascularity index for predicting the response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in cervical carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate whether the power Doppler vascularity index (PDVI) can predict the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in cervical carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five women with bulky early stage cervical carcinoma treated by NACT followed by surgery were enrolled. Their response to NACT was evaluated. Clinical characteristics and pathologic data were recorded. Transvaginal power Doppler was performed before, during and after NACT. PDVI was detected using power Doppler and a quantitative image processing system. Factors that can potentially correlate with the response to NACT were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve (48%) patients showed a response (responders) to NACT and 13 (52%) were unchanged or had progressive disease (nonresponders) after NACT. Higher PDVI values were noted in tumors with lymphovascular emboli and pelvic lymph node metastasis both before and after NACT. The mean values of the PDVI of the nonresponders before (19.27 +/- 6.01 vs. 12.28 +/- 7.06, p = 0.014), during (20.2 +/- 1.5 vs. 12.9 +/- 2.1, p = 0.009) and after NACT (18.1 +/- 6.0 vs. 9.3 +/- 5.4, p = 0.001) were significantly higher than those of the responders. When the cutoff point for predicting nonresponders to NACT was set at a PDVI value of 15%, the sensitivity was 92.3% and the specificity 66.7%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The power Doppler vascularity index can predict the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in cervical cancer, and might be useful for the evaluation of response to chemotherapy in cancer patients in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-An
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wen-Fang
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Chien-Nan
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yi-Ning
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Chang-Yao
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Fon-Jou
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents