Objective: To determine whether gross tumor volume (GTV) and the maximum diameter of resectable cervical cancer at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could predict lymph node metastasis (LNM) and lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI).
Materials and methods: A total of 315 consecutive patients with cervical cancer were retrospectively identified. Gross tumor volume and the maximum diameter of tumor were evaluated on MRI. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine whether tumor size could predict LNM and LVSI. Cutoffs of GTV, maximum diameter, and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) classification of tumor were first investigated in 255 patients (group A) and then validated in an independent cohort of 60 patients (group B) using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) analysis for predicting the presence of LNM and LVSI.
Results: Univariate analysis showed that GTV and the maximum diameter of tumor could predict LNM and LVSI (all P < 0.0001). Multivariate analyses indicated GTV as an independent risk factor of LNM and LVSI (all P < 0.0001). In group A, GTV, the maximum diameter, and the FIGO stage could identify LNM (AUC, 0.813, 0.741, and 0.69, respectively) and LVSI (AUC, 0.806, 0.751, and 0.684, respectively). In group B, GTV, the maximum diameter, and the FIGO stage could help identify LNM (AUC, 0.902, 0.825, and 0.759, respectively) and LVSI (AUC, 0.771, 0.748, and 0.700, respectively).
Conclusions: Gross tumor volume and the maximum diameter of resectable cervical cancer at MRI demonstrated capability in predicting LNM and LVSI, which were more accurate than FIGO stage.