A new technique has been developed to identify early-stage cervical cancer, British researchers have reported.
Professor Nandita deSouza of the Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK, has worked with scientists at the Royal Marsden Hospital, to develop a new imaging technique.
They report it was effective at identifying small tumours in a recent trial of 59 women.
Professor deSouza said: “Our imaging technology can localise cervical cancers and determine the size of the tumour. We can use this information to plan less radical surgery, preserving as much of the uterus and the cervix as possible.”
Details of the method are published in the journal Radiology on October 21.
“With conventional scanning techniques, small tumours are harder to identify or to differentiate from scar tissue, particularly if the patient has had a recent biopsy,” Professor deSouza explained. “In these cases, conventional imaging can overestimate the level of cancer within the cervix and result in major surgery leading to infertility.”
But “the quality of the information from the images produced using this new method has allowed us to identify and define smaller tumours more accurately”.
The work was funded by Cancer Research UK. Dr Lesley Walker, head of cancer information at the charity, commented: “This small study is extremely promising and provides a clear rationale for more extensive studies.
“Cancer Research UK has identified imaging research as a priority and we have invested 50m UK pounds over five years, in partnership with other funding bodies, to help us achieve our aim of improving the detection and diagnosis of cancer through this exciting field of cancer research.”
Charles-Edwards, E. M. et al. Diffusion-weighted Imaging in Cervical Cancer with an Endovaginal Technique: Potential Value for Improving Tumor Detection in Stage Ia and Ib1 Disease. Radiology, Vol. 249, October 21, 2008, pp. 541-50.
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