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Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging in cervical carcinoma: a report on 30 cases

Radiation Therapy Unit, Department of Clinical Physiopathology, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 85, 50134 Firenze, Italy ^* Medical Physics Unit, Department of Clinical Physiopathology, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 85, 50134 Firenze, Italy

T₁ and T₂ relaxation times were calculated, before radiation therapy, in 30 patients with cervical carcinoma. Eight healthy young women were submitted to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine T₁ and T₂ times of the normal cervix. Magnetic resonance imaging was repeated, in 22 patients, during radiation therapy and at follow-up. During treatment and follow-up, patients with complete tumour response showed a significant T₁ reduction compared with the pre-treatment values. With persistence of palpable or visible tumour, T₁ times showed a small decrease during therapy, and a marked increase at subsequent examinations. The results suggest that the modifications of T₁ relaxation times, during radiation therapy and follow-up, could be considered as a useful discriminant between patients with differing tumour response.

Key Words: Cervical carcinoma • Radiation therapy • MRI • Tissue characterization

Received for publication July 1, 1990. Revision received February 1, 1991.