[en] The purpose of our study was to investigate the usefulness of dynamic MR imaging of ovarian tumors with solid components. Dynamic curves of signal intensities were analyzed in 72 patients with pathologically proven ovarian tumors. In order to evaluate the effects of contrast enhancement of the tumors, the t80 value was calculated from the time-intensity curve of each tumor. Based on t80 values, the time-intensity curves of the tumors could be classified into four types. We concluded that dynamic MR imaging is useful for the differential diagnosis of ovarian tumors. (author)

[en] Recently, attempts have made to use radiotherapy in combination with chemotherapy in various solid tumors including cervical cancer. Twenty-four patients with locally advanced cervical cancer were treated with concurrent Carboplatin (16-24 mg/m²/day) or Nedaplatin (20 mg/m²/week) and conventional radiotherapy. Of 13 evaluable patients, there were nine complete responders and four partial responders. There was no renal damage or grade 4 hematological toxicity. Gastrointestinal adverse reactions were mild. One patient had grade 3 dermatologic toxicity after delayed radiation therapy. This pilot study suggests that daily Carboplatin or weekly Nedaplatin administered with standard radiation therapy is safe, well-tolerated, and thus may be useful as a radiation sensitizer in the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer. (author)

[en] The purpose of this study was to examine the appearance of struma ovarii on MR and CT images. All 13 patients showed both cystic and solid components with a multilobulated surface and thickened septa. Various signal intensities were seen on both T1WI and T2WI. The cystic component, which showed low signal intensity on T2WI, showed high density on CT images. The characteristic MR and CT appearance of struma ovarii appears to be that of multicystic tumor indicating the presence of viscid materials containing iodine. (author)

[en] Our aim was to investigate the usefulness of multisection dynamic MR imaging using a 3D FLASH technique during breath holding in assessing myometrial invasion by endometrial carcinoma. Twenty-eight endometrial carcinomas were evaluated with pathologic correlation. Dynamic MR imaging was performed using the 3D FLASH technique during breath holding. We compared accuracy in the assessment of myometrial invasion by endometrial carcinoma between T2-weighted images, contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images, and dynamic MR images. The accuracy rates in estimating myometrial invasion with T2-weighted images, contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images, and dynamic MR images were 64.3%, 67.8%, and 85.7%, respectively. Statistically significant differences were seen between dynamic MR images and both T2-weighted images and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images. Multisection dynamic MR imaging using the 3D FLASH technique during breath holding is useful for the evaluation of myometrial invasion by endometrial carcinoma with polypoid growth or an unclear junctional zone on T2-weighted images. (author)

[en] The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of dynamic MR imaging in the assessment of parametrial involvement by cervical carcinoma with full-thickness stromal invasion on thin-section oblique axial T2-weighted images. Dynamic MR images of 24 patients with cervical carcinoma with full-thickness stromal invasion on thin-section oblique axial T2-weighted images were evaluated with pathologic correlation. Dynamic MR imaging was performed using turbo fast low angle shot (FLASH), three-dimensional fast imaging with steady state procession (3D-FISP), or two-dimensional (2D)-FLASH technique. The imaging planes of dynamic MR imaging were oblique axial planes of the uterine cervix. Dynamic MR imaging was performed twice, once for the early phase (40 to 60 sec after the administration of contrast media) and once for the late phase (5 min). Contrast enhancement of the tumor was divided into six types. Type I, cervical stroma with low signal intensity surrounding a tumor with high signal intensity, was seen in the early phase of dynamic MR imaging; type II-RR, the hyperintense rim was seen from the early phase to the late phase; type II-RO, the hyperintense rim was seen in the early phase only; type II-OR, the hyperintense rim was seen in the late phase only; type II-O, the hyperintense rim was not seen at all; and type III, tumor invasion with high signal intensities was seen beyond the cervical stroma in the early phase of dynamic MR imaging. The numbers for each type of cervical carcinoma on dynamic MR images were as follows: type I, four parametrial sites; type II-RR, 0; type II-RO, 0; type II-OR, 13; type II-O, 14; and type III, one. Three-dimensional diameters (transverse, craniocaudal, and anteroposterior) of the primary tumor were measured using dividers. All parametrial sites of type I and type II-OR showed no parametrial involvement. One parametrial site of type III and three parametrial sites of type II-O showed parametrial involvement, and 11 of type II-O showed no parametrial involvement. None of the patients showed type II-RR or type II-RO. When type I and type II-OR were categorized as criteria of no parametrial involvement and type III and transverse diameters of 3.5 cm or over classified as type II-O were categorized as criteria of parametrial involvement, the rate of diagnostic accuracy was 95.8%. Dynamic MR imaging is considered to be substantially useful in the assessment of parametrial involvement with cervical carcinoma with full-thickness stromal invasion by thin-section oblique axial T2-weighted images. (author)

[en] The in vitro radiosensitizing effects of docetaxel have been reported, but the DNA damage caused by the irradiation after docetaxel exposure has not been investigated. In this study, the authors attempted to evaluate the radiosensitizing effects in terms of cell survival and DNA single-strand breaks in a human ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line (known as line BG-1) and a human cervical squamous cell carcinoma cell line (known as line SiHa). The cell lines were exposed to various concentrations of docetaxel (from 2.27 x 10^-3 to 2.27 μg/ml) to investigate the cytocidal effects by colony-formation assay. DNA single-strand breaks after exposure to 2.27 μg/ml of docetaxel for 30 min or 100 min were measured by the alkaline-elution assay. The remarkable cytotoxicity of docetaxel followed by irradiation was observed when concentrations were greater than 2.27 x 10^-2 μg/ml in both cell lines. The combination of docetaxel and irradiation appears to be supraadditive. The DNA single-strand breaks induced by the irradiation were enhanced in both cell lines (BG-1; p<0.01, SiHa; P<0.05). The synergistic cytocidal effect cannot be explained quantitatively only by the single-strand breaks. (author)