Malignant gynecologic disease: applications of magnetic resonance imaging

Malignancies of the female genital tract account for 25% of all cancers diagnosed in women. The decreasing incidence and mortality associated with cervical and uterine corpus carcinomas reflect earlier detection and improved therapies. Although not practical as a screening tool, magnetic resonance imaging is playing an expanding role in the diagnosis and staging of gynecologic cancers. Its unsurpassed soft tissue contrast resolution and multiplanar imaging capabilities allow better depiction of depth of tumor invasion and extent of local spread than either computed tomography or ultrasound.