Margit Dueholm1, Ina Marie Hjorth2, Katja Dahl3, Edvard Marinovskij4, Gitte Ørtoft5. 1. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark. Electronic address: dueholm@dadlnet.dk. 2. Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark. 3. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark. 4. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark. 5. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify women with high-risk endometrial cancers using expert and non-expert transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) and MRI. STUDY DESIGN: Myometrial involvement was prospectively evaluated in patients with atypical hyperplasia or endometrial cancer on ultrasound by non-experts at first visit (non-expert-TVS: n = 266) and experts (expert-TVS: n = 188) at second visit. MRI (n = 175) was performed when high-risk cancer was suspected on non-expert-TVS. Preoperatively, high-risk cancer was defined as myometrial involvement ≥50 %, or preoperative unfavorable tumor histology (grade 3 endometrioid, non-endometrioid tumors, or tumor in cervical biopsies) obtained by endometrial sampling or hysteroscopic biopsies. Preoperative evaluations were compared with final histopathology obtained at surgery, high-risk cancer being defined as unfavorable tumor histology or patients with FIGO stage ≥1b. RESULTS: Preoperative unfavorable tumor histology was seen in 64 women and correctly identified 63 of 128 high-risk cancers. Preoperative diagnosis of unfavorable tumor histology or myometrial involvement ≥50 %, i.e. judged high-risk, had an area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of 79.5 %, 93.8 %, 65.2 % on non-expert-TVS; 85.5 %, 84.4 %, 86.5 % on expert-TVS, and 85.4 %, 89.6 %, 81.2 % on MRI. AUC values were not significantly different between MRI and expert-TVS, but lower on non-expert-TVS (p < 0.02). However, sensitivity was highest on non-expert-TVS, where a low cutpoint for myometrial involvement was used (included potentially deep and difficult evaluations) in contrast to an exact cutpoint of myometrial involvement ≥50 % used on expert-TVS and MRI. The highest AUC, 88.6 %, was seen when MRI was performed in patients with myometrial involvement ≥50 %, determined on non-expert TVS. Sensitivity was reduced to 85.9 %, while specificity increased to 91.3 %. Thus, MRI was needed for risk classification in only 104 (39 %) patients. CONCLUSION: Diagnostically, expert-TVS and MRI were comparable and superior to non-expert-TVS. However, non-expert-TVS classified all patients with unclear myometrial involvement ≥50 %, and thereby only misdiagnosed 6.2 % of high-risk cases. Non-expert-TVS combined with MRI when myometrial involvement was ≥50 % on non-expert-TVS was a simple and effective method comparable with expert imaging to identify low- and high-risk cancer and select patients for SLND. Addition of MRI to the diagnostic regimen was needed in only 39 % of our patients.
OBJECTIVE: To identify women with high-risk endometrial cancers using expert and non-expert transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) and MRI. STUDY DESIGN: Myometrial involvement was prospectively evaluated in patients with atypical hyperplasia or endometrial cancer on ultrasound by non-experts at first visit (non-expert-TVS: n = 266) and experts (expert-TVS: n = 188) at second visit. MRI (n = 175) was performed when high-risk cancer was suspected on non-expert-TVS. Preoperatively, high-risk cancer was defined as myometrial involvement ≥50 %, or preoperative unfavorable tumor histology (grade 3 endometrioid, non-endometrioid tumors, or tumor in cervical biopsies) obtained by endometrial sampling or hysteroscopic biopsies. Preoperative evaluations were compared with final histopathology obtained at surgery, high-risk cancer being defined as unfavorable tumor histology or patients with FIGO stage ≥1b. RESULTS: Preoperative unfavorable tumor histology was seen in 64 women and correctly identified 63 of 128 high-risk cancers. Preoperative diagnosis of unfavorable tumor histology or myometrial involvement ≥50 %, i.e. judged high-risk, had an area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of 79.5 %, 93.8 %, 65.2 % on non-expert-TVS; 85.5 %, 84.4 %, 86.5 % on expert-TVS, and 85.4 %, 89.6 %, 81.2 % on MRI. AUC values were not significantly different between MRI and expert-TVS, but lower on non-expert-TVS (p < 0.02). However, sensitivity was highest on non-expert-TVS, where a low cutpoint for myometrial involvement was used (included potentially deep and difficult evaluations) in contrast to an exact cutpoint of myometrial involvement ≥50 % used on expert-TVS and MRI. The highest AUC, 88.6 %, was seen when MRI was performed in patients with myometrial involvement ≥50 %, determined on non-expert TVS. Sensitivity was reduced to 85.9 %, while specificity increased to 91.3 %. Thus, MRI was needed for risk classification in only 104 (39 %) patients. CONCLUSION: Diagnostically, expert-TVS and MRI were comparable and superior to non-expert-TVS. However, non-expert-TVS classified all patients with unclear myometrial involvement ≥50 %, and thereby only misdiagnosed 6.2 % of high-risk cases. Non-expert-TVS combined with MRI when myometrial involvement was ≥50 % on non-expert-TVS was a simple and effective method comparable with expert imaging to identify low- and high-risk cancer and select patients for SLND. Addition of MRI to the diagnostic regimen was needed in only 39 % of our patients.