Open AccessTransvaginal color Doppler ultrasound for monitoring the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced cervical cancer
Author(s) -
Greco Pantaleo,
Cormio Gennaro,
Vimercati Antonella,
Nacci Grazia,
Vagno Giovanni,
Loverro Giuseppe,
Selvaggi Luigi
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016349709050075
Subject(s) - medicine , cervical cancer , chemotherapy , radiology , ultrasound , neoadjuvant therapy , cancer , oncology , breast cancer
Background . To evaluate the role of transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound in monitoring the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally‐advanced cervical cancer. Methods . Fourteen patients with locally‐advanced cervical cancer, scheduled for neoadjuvant chemotherapy, were investigated with transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonography before and at the completion of chemotherapy in order to study hemodynamic changes in cervical and intratumoral vessels. Twenty healthy women matched for age and parity served as a control group. Statistical analysis was performed with Student's t test for paired data. Results . Statistically different blood flow recording between patients with cervical cancer and healthy controls could be observed only in intratumoral vessels. A significant increase of RI and PI values, recorded in both cervical artery and intratumoral vessels, have been observed in the group of patients responding to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In patients with stable disease at the completion of chemotherapy, flow characteristics did not change significantly. Conclusion . Preliminary results of our study suggest that transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound evaluation of flow characteristics in the cervical and intratumoral vessels might be useful in monitoring the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with invasive cervical cancer.