title: Real-time tissue sonoelastography for early response monitoring in cervical cancer patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy: preliminary results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the utility of real-time sonoelastography (RTE) for predicting treatment response during the course of definitive radiotherapy in patients with cervical cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cervical cancer patients were prospectively evaluated with RTE by a single operator during the course of definitive radiotherapy to analyze the associations between the change in their tumor's strain ratio (SR) and the treatment response.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SR of the cervical tumors was significantly higher than that of the normal cervical tissue (mean 3.8 vs 1.2; median 3.4 vs 1.1, p < 0.01). Treating the cervical tumors with definitive radiotherapy significantly reduced their SR to the same level as the normal cervix among patients who achieved a complete response to definitive radiotherapy. In contrast, among patients who developed residual disease after radiotherapy, the SR of the tumor did not decrease significantly after definitive radiotherapy. Moreover, the reduction in the tumor SR detected by RTE preceded the reduction in tumor volume as assessed by transvaginal ultrasonography.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RTE is a rapid and effective method for predicting treatment response during the course of definitive radiotherapy, potentially facilitating early and personalized treatment adaptation in patients with cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan. smabuchi@gyne.med.osaka-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mabuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sasano
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromasa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryoko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D003199:Computer Systems; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Cervical cancer; Radiotherapy; Response monitoring; Sonoelastography