Imaging of uterine malignancies.

Area of Science:

• Gynecologic Oncology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Endometrial cancer is the most common uterine malignancy, with diagnosis confirmed by histology.
• Current staging for endometrial cancer relies on the surgical-pathologic 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system.
• Uterine sarcomas are rare, heterogeneous malignancies with a recently updated surgical-pathologic FIGO staging system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the utility of various imaging modalities in the evaluation of malignant neoplasms of the uterine corpus.
• To emphasize the importance of imaging in treatment planning and disease extent assessment for uterine cancers.
• To discuss the role of imaging in staging both endometrial cancer and uterine sarcomas.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on imaging in uterine corpus malignancies.
• Discussion of the applications of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT).
• Integration of imaging findings with established surgical-pathologic staging systems.

Main Results:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers the best primary tumor staging for endometrial cancer.
• Computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) are valuable for evaluating advanced disease and metastases.
• Imaging plays a key role in defining the extent of disease for both endometrial cancer and uterine sarcomas.

Conclusions:

• Medical imaging is essential for comprehensive management of uterine corpus malignancies.
• Imaging modalities like MRI, CT, and PET-CT are critical adjuncts to histology and surgical staging.
• Accurate staging through imaging facilitates optimal treatment planning for patients with uterine cancers.