title: Feasibility of transrectal ultrasonography for assessment of cervical cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To retrospectively compare the maximum target width and target thickness in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) in the course of primary radiochemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  T2-weighted MRI and TRUS were performed on patients with locally advanced cervical cancer at the same timepoint-either at the time of diagnosis, or at the time of brachytherapy before or after insertion of the applicator. Patients treated from 2009 to 2011 were selected for this study based on the availability of MRI and TRUS at the defined time points. The target was defined as the complete macroscopic tumor mass and the remaining cervix and was measured on transversal planes. Descriptive statistics and a linear regression analysis were performed for the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Images from 17 patients were available for analysis. Mean maximum target width was 4.2 ± 0.83 cm and 4.2 ± 0.79 cm for MRI and TRUS, respectively. Mean maximum target thickness was 3.3 ± 1.03 cm and 3.1 ± 1.15 cm for MRI and TRUS, respectively. Linear regression analysis for target width and thickness between TRUS and MRI demonstrated a correlation with R(2) = 0.842 and R(2) = 0.943, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The feasibility of TRUS for the assessment of local target extension could be demonstrated. Comparison of the target width and thickness showed a high correlation between TRUS and MRI, indicating the potential of TRUS for target definition in image-guided adaptive brachytherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, General Hospital of Vienna, Austria. maximilian.schmid@akhwien.at
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pötter
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brader
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kratochwil
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goldner
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kirchheiner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sturdza
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kirisits
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*