OBJECTIVES: SENTIX was a prospective, single-arm, international multicenter study that evaluated sentinel lymph node biopsy without pelvic lymph node dissection in patients with early-stage cervical cancer. We aimed to evaluate the concordance between preoperative imaging modalities (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound) and final pathology in the clinical staging of early-stage cervical cancer by post-hoc analysis of the SENTIX study data. METHODS: In total, 47 sites across 18 countries participated in the SENTIX study. Patients with Stage IA1/lymphovascular space invasion-positive to IB2 (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) classification (2018)) cervical cancer, with usual histological types and no suspicious lymph nodes on imaging, were prospectively enrolled between May 2016 and October 2020. Preoperative pelvic clinical staging on either pelvic MRI or ultrasound examination was mandatory. Tumor size discrepancy (< 10 mm vs ≥ 10 mm) between imaging and pathology, as well as the negative predictive value (NPV) of MRI and ultrasound for parametrial involvement and lymph node macrometastasis, were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 690 eligible prospectively enrolled patients, MRI and ultrasound were used as the staging imaging modality in 322 (46.7%) and 298 (43.2%) patients, respectively. A discrepancy of tumor size ≥ 10 mm was reported between ultrasound and final pathology in 39/298 (13.1%) patients and between MRI and pathology in 53/322 (16.5%), with no significant difference in the accuracy of tumor measurement between the two imaging modalities. The NPV of ultrasound in assessing parametrial infiltration and lymph node involvement was 97.0% (95% CI, 0.95-0.99%) and 94.0% (95% CI, 0.91-0.97%), respectively, and that of MRI was 95.3% (95% CI, 0.93-0.98%) and 94.1% (95% CI, 0.92-0.97%), respectively, with no significant differences between the parameters. Ultrasound and MRI were comparable regarding the tumor size measurement (P = 0.452), failure to detect parametrial involvement (P = 0.624) and failure to detect macrometastases in sentinel lymph node (P = 0.876). CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic ultrasound examination and MRI had similar concordance with histology in the assessment of tumor size and of parametrial and lymph node invasion in early-stage cervical cancer. Ultrasound examination should be considered part of preoperative pelvic clinical staging in early-stage cervical cancer, especially in limited-resource regions where MRI is unavailable. © 2025 The Author(s). Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

• Keywords
• FIGO, MRI, cervical cancer, clinical staging, imaging, ultrasound,
• MeSH
• Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Lymphatic Metastasis diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Lymph Nodes pathology   diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging * methods   MeSH
• Uterine Cervical Neoplasms * pathology   diagnostic imaging   MeSH
• Pelvis diagnostic imaging   pathology   MeSH
• Predictive Value of Tests MeSH
• Preoperative Care methods   MeSH
• Prospective Studies MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Neoplasm Staging methods   MeSH
• Ultrasonography methods   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Multicenter Study MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Following the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO), the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO), and the European Society of Pathology (ESP) joint guidelines (2018) for the management of patients with cervical cancer, treatment decisions should be guided by modern imaging techniques. After five years (2023), an update of the ESGO-ESTRO-ESP recommendations was performed, further confirming this statement. Transvaginal/transrectal ultrasound (TRS/TVS) or pelvic magnetic resonance (MRI) enables tumor delineation and precise assessment of its local extent, including the evaluation of the depth of infiltration in the bladder- or rectal wall. Additionally, both techniques have very high specificity to confirm the presence of metastatic pelvic lymph nodes but fail to exclude them due to insufficient sensitivity to detect small-volume metastases, as in any other currently available imaging modality. In early-stage disease (T1a to T2a1, except T1b3) with negative lymph nodes on TVS/TRS or MRI, surgicopathological staging should be performed. In all other situations, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) or 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography combined with CT (PET-CT) is recommended to assess extrapelvic spread. This paper aims to review the evidence supporting the implementation of diagnostic imaging with a focus on ultrasound at primary diagnostic workup of cervical cancer.

• Keywords
• CT, MRI, PET-CT, cervical cancer, diagnostic imaging, neoplasm, staging, ultrasound,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH

PURPOSE: Current guidelines for surveillance strategy in cervical cancer are rigid, recommending the same strategy for all survivors. The aim of this study was to develop a robust model allowing for individualised surveillance based on a patient's risk profile. METHODS: Data of 4343 early-stage patients with cervical cancer treated between 2007 and 2016 were obtained from the international SCCAN (Surveillance in Cervical Cancer) consortium. The Cox proportional hazards model predicting disease-free survival (DFS) was developed and internally validated. The risk score, derived from regression coefficients of the model, stratified the cohort into significantly distinctive risk groups. On its basis, the annual recurrence risk model (ARRM) was calculated. RESULTS: Five variables were included in the prognostic model: maximal pathologic tumour diameter; tumour histotype; grade; number of positive pelvic lymph nodes; and lymphovascular space invasion. Five risk groups significantly differing in prognosis were identified with a five-year DFS of 97.5%, 94.7%, 85.2% and 63.3% in increasing risk groups, whereas a two-year DFS in the highest risk group equalled 15.4%. Based on the ARRM, the annual recurrence risk in the lowest risk group was below 1% since the beginning of follow-up and declined below 1% at years three, four and >5 in the medium-risk groups. In the whole cohort, 26% of recurrences appeared at the first year of the follow-up, 48% by year two and 78% by year five. CONCLUSION: The ARRM represents a potent tool for tailoring the surveillance strategy in early-stage patients with cervical cancer based on the patient's risk status and respective annual recurrence risk. It can easily be used in routine clinical settings internationally.

• Keywords
• Annual recurrence risk, Cervical cancer, Prognostic model, Surveillance,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH