Risk factors for the recurrence of cervical cancer using MR-based T1 mapping: A pilot study

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study aimed to identify risk factors for recurrence in patients with cervical cancer (CC) through quantitative T1 mapping.MethodsA cohort of 107 patients histopathologically diagnosed with CC at our institution between May 2018 and April 2021 was categorized into surgical and non-surgical groups. Patients in each group were further divided into recurrence and non-recurrence subgroups depending on whether they showed recurrence or metastasis within 3 years of treatment. The longitudinal relaxation time (native T1) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of the tumor were calculated. The differences between native T1 and ADC values of the recurrence and non-recurrence subgroups were analyzed, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn for parameters with statistical differences. Logistic regression was performed for analysis of significant factors affecting CC recurrence. Recurrence-free survival rates were estimated by Kaplan–Meier analysis and compared using the log-rank test.ResultsThirteen and 10 patients in the surgical and non-surgical groups, respectively, showed recurrence after treatment. There were significant differences in native T1 values between the recurrence and non-recurrence subgroups in the surgical and non-surgical groups (P<0.05); however, there was no difference in ADC values (P>0.05). The areas under the ROC curve of native T1 values for discriminating recurrence of CC after surgical and non-surgical treatment were 0.742 and 0.780, respectively. Logistic regression analysis indicated that native T1 values were risk factors for tumor recurrence in the surgical and non-surgical groups (P=0.004 and 0.040, respectively). Compared with cut-offs, recurrence-free survival curves of patients with higher native T1 values of the two groups were significantly different from those with lower ones (P=0.000 and 0.016, respectively).ConclusionQuantitative T1 mapping could help identify CC patients with a high risk of recurrence, supplementing information on tumor prognosis other than clinicopathological features and providing the basis for individualized treatment and follow-up schemes.

T1 and T2 mapping for identifying malignant lymph nodes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

“…The equivalent T1 between metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes could possibly result from decreased water content that lowering T1 counteracts with increased cellular proliferation, increasing T1. Within other clinical investigations, a higher T1 has been associated with higher-risk histopathologic features and dismal prognosis [ 15 , 16 , 39 , 40 ], with one report noting elevated T1 values for malignant lesions than benign lesions [ 41 ]. Additionally, radiological features derived from T1 mapping, as explored through radiomics techniques, have been recently found valuable in predicting Gleason scores in prostate cancer [ 42 ] and distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions in the nasopharynx [ 43 ].…”

T1 mapping as a quantitative imaging biomarker for diagnosing cervical cancer: a comparison with diffusion kurtosis imaging

“…As we previously reported, T1 mapping has shown high value in predicting prognostic pathologic factors and risk factors for recurrence in cervical cancer [ 18 – 20 ]. However, most of these studies have focused on cervical squamous cell cancer [ 18 , 19 ], and few systematic studies have investigated the potential clinical applications of T1 mapping in the characterization of cervical adenocarcinoma [ 16 ]. Additionlly, relevant studies that have assessed the histological characteristics of cervical cancer using T1 mapping and DKI are still in the early stages [ 20 ].…”