title: Patterns of pretreatment diagnostic assessment and staging for patients with cervical cancer (1999-2001): patterns of care study in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the patterns of pretreatment diagnostic assessment in uterine cervical cancer patients treated with definitive radiotherapy in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Japanese Patterns of Care Study working group conducted a second extramural audit survey of 68 institutions and collected specific information on 631 patients with cervical cancer. All patients were treated with radiotherapy in 1999-2001. Of these, 324 patients treated without surgery were the subjects of this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics-prescribed diagnostic procedures were performed at moderate rates in our study cohort. The performance rates of chest X-ray, intravenous urography, cystoscopy, and proctoscopy were 74, 54, 53, and 33%, respectively. Cross sectional imaging studies were frequently performed. Pelvic CT, abdominal CT, and pelvic MRI were performed in 88, 80, and 76%, respectively. Lymphangiography (1%) and surgical evaluation (1%) were rarely done. Only one patient underwent PET scans in this survey period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated the patterns of pretreatment diagnostic assessment in cervical cancer patients treated with definitive radiotherapy in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan. b983255@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toita
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kodaira
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uno
authors.forename: Atsunori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shinoda
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akino
authors.forename: Michihide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitsumori
authors.forename: Teruki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Teshima
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000175:diagnosis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016522:Oncology Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000532:radiotherapy*