title: Diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging versus clinical staging in cervical cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cervical cancer is the third most common gynecological cancer and a widespread malignancy in women, accounting for a large proportion of the cancer burden in developing countries. We compared accuracy of MRI staging with clinical staging and also concordance between the two methods for newly diagnosed patients with cervical cancer, using clinical staging as the reference.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study was conducted on 27 newly diagnosed patients with cervical cancer from Imam Khomeini hospital from June 2012 to Feb 2014. New cases of cervical cancer with positive PAP test were staged separately with a clinical exam based on the FIGO system by a gynecologist, oncologist and also with MRI by an expert radiologist. Then we compared the predicted stage for each patient with the two methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on clinical staging 9 patients (33%) were observed at stage 1. MRI staging was in coordination with clinical staging in eight of them and for one patient MRI accorded stage 2B (88% concordance).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRI is a reliable noninvasive method with high accuracy for cervical cancer staging. Also presently it is easily obtainable, so we recommend using this technique along with clinical examination for staging cervical cancer patients. We also recommend to radiologists and residents of radiology to get experience with this method of staging.
authors: Department of Radiology, Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran E-mail : Mohammaddavoodi47@yahoo.com.
authors: Ahmad Soltani
authors: AS
authors: Shirazi
authors: Taghi
authors: T
authors: Razi
authors: Fatemeh
authors: F
authors: Cheraghi
authors: Fakher
authors: F
authors: Rahim
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Ehsani
authors: Mohammad
authors: M
authors: Davoodi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D058869:Gynecological Examination; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D011446:Prospective Studies; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D014626:Vaginal Smears