The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of pretherapeutic primary tumor metabolic tumor volume (MTV) in the prognosis of radically treated cervical cancer patients. Retrospective, single-centre analysis was performed on a group of 508 cervical cancer patients. All patients underwent a pretreatment [18F]FDG PET/CT study for the assessment of the disease stage. Several PET-derived parameters—namely, maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean), total lesion glycolysis (TLG) and MTV, as well as the clinical parameters, were analysed in terms of the overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), locoregional control (LRC) and freedom from distant metastases (FFDM). Hyperthermia and brachytherapy were prognostic for EFS, OS, and LRC.FIGO stage > II showed a significant effect on EFS, OS, and FFDM. Moreover, hysterectomy was prognostic for OS and histology was prognostic for FFDM. From the PET-derived parameters only MTV of the primary tumor had a significant influence on OS (cutoff point: >12.7 mL, HR: 2.8, 1.75–4.48 95% CI, p < 0.001), LRC (cutoff point: >13.7 mL, HR 2.82, 1.42–5.61 95% CI, p = 0.003), EFS (cutoff point: >10.4 mL, HR: 2.57, 1.67–3.97 95% CI, p < 0.001) and FFDM (cutoff point: >10.4 mL, HR: 5.04, 1.82–13.99 95% CI, p = 0.002). Pretreatment MTV from the primary tumor is the only independent prognostic parameter in OS, LRC, EFS, and FFDM in radically treated cervical cancer patients and should be used in clinical practice in assessing prognosis in these patients.

Background: This article reviews the salient features of recent results of clinical studies. It puts a special emphasis on technical aspects, mechanisms of action together with radiotherapy and chemotherapy and points out areas for additional investigation.Aim: To present the current state of knowledge on hyperthermia (HT) and to highlight its role in the treatment of cervical cancer. Materials and methods:The literature on the clinical use of combined hyperthermia for cervical cancer was analyzed. Clinical outcomes together with the technical aspects and the role of HT were also evaluated. Results:Clinically randomized trials have demonstrated benefit including survival with the addition of hyperthermia to radiation or chemotherapy in the treatment of cervical cancer without significant acute or late morbidities. The technological advances have led to an effective and safer treatment delivery, thermal treatment planning, thermal dose monitoring and online adaptive temperature modulation.Conclusions: Due to rapid development over the last decade of hyperthermia systems and new studies at the basic science and clinical level, the perception of hyperthermia as a part of multimodality treatment in cervical cancer has been changed. However, there is still a need for multicentre randomized clinical trials.

Aim The aim of this study was to estimate the influence of biological parameters assessed in [18F]FDG PET/CT on overall survival (OS) in cervical cancer patients. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on a group of 371 patients with newly diagnosed and histologically confirmed cervical cancer. PET biological parameters in primary tumor including SUVmax, SUVmean, total lesion glycolysis (TLG), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), heterogeneity, and parameters referring both to primary tumor and metastatic lesions: SUVtotal, TLGtotal, and MTVtotal, were analyzed. Results Based on PET/CT results, 3 subgroups were identified: cervical only—with disease limited only to the cervix (38%), +regional nodes—where increased glucose accumulation in addition to the cervical area was also observed in regional lymph nodes (36%), and +distal metastases—where PET scan showed a disseminated disease (26%). Depending on the stage of the disease, in the cervical-only group, 5-year survival rate was 86%; in the +regional nodes group, it was 80%; whereas in the +distal metastases group, 5-year survival rate was only 55%. However, based on Cox regression model, significant influence on OS was found only in heterogeneity of primary tumor; more inhomogeneous tumors suggest worse prognosis (0.25 ± 0.04 vs 0.16 ± 0.09, P < 0.001), SUVtotal (76.6 ± 130.1 vs 45.4 ± 73.4, P = 0.002), and MTVtotal (79.03 ± 88.27 vs 63.00 ± 83.80 cm3, P = 0.03). For heterogeneity, cutoff point suggesting worse prognosis was 0.18; for SUVtotal, 52.3; and for MTVtotal, 66.55 cm3. Conclusions Stage of disease assessed in [18F]FDG PET/CT significantly influences survival rate in patients with cervical cancer. SUVtotal, MTVtotal, and heterogeneity of primary tumor are independent prognostic factors on OS in cervical cancer patients.

IntroductionGynaecological cancers, including cervical cancer, often require a multidisciplinary approach that includes external beam radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and/or surgical treatment. Biological parameters of the tumour evaluated in 18F-FDG-PET/CT are used for target volume delineation in radiotherapy planning. The choice of segmentation method may affect the assessment of metabolic tumour volume (MTV) in 18F-FDG-PET/CT.Aim of the studyTo find the optimal segmentation method for the assessment of primary MTV in 18F-FDG-PET/CT in cervical cancer patients for radiotherapy planning.Material and methodsRetrospective analysis was performed on a group of 30 patients with newly diagnosed, histologically confirmed cervical cancer. The primary MTVs were assessed by SUVmax and SUVmean values; three segmentation methods were used to assess the primary MTV: constant threshold of SUVmax of 2.5, threshold of SUVmax 35%, and threshold of SUV max 45%. The MTVs were compared with the tumour volumes obtained in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which was the “gold standard”, to select the best optimal segmentation method reflecting the tumour size. Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney and t-test were used for statistical analysis.ResultsDepending on the segmentation method chosen, significant differences in the MTVs were obtained (p < 0.001). The highest volumes were obtained using the method based on constant SUVmax of 2.5, while the smallest in case of threshold of SUVmax of 45%. Regarding the volume determined by MRI, a 35% SUVmax threshold was chosen as the most reliable method.ConclusionsThe choice of appropriate segmentation method has a significant impact on the primary MTV assessment in 18F-FDG-PET/CT in patients with cervical cancer.