Lymph node assessment by diffusion weighted imaging in cervical cancer

Excerpt

The use of node size alone to determine the presence of metastatic lymphadenopathy has been shown to be a poor discriminator in pelvic oncological imaging. Functional imaging is becoming increasingly important in the evaluation of cancer patients because of the limitations of morphologic imaging. In patients with uterine cervical cancer, it is quite important to evaluate the involvement of lymph nodes as lymph nodes metastases are an important prognostic factor, correlating with survival and modifying treatment option [1, 2]. In some institutions, routine laparoscopic lymphadenectomy is performed to accurately stage lymphatic extension. Non-invasive preoperative lymph nodes staging seems quite important in patient’s management as treatment is heavily influenced according to the presence or absence of lymph node involvement. …