MRI and CT Scans to Evaluate Invasive Cervical Cancer Before Treating Patients

RATIONALE: Imaging procedures such as MRI or CT scans may improve the ability to detect cervical cancer and determine the extent of disease.

PURPOSE: Diagnostic trial to determine the effectiveness of MRI and CT scans in evaluating invasive cervical cancer before treatment of patients.

OBJECTIVES:

* Compare the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and clinical FIGO staging in patients with invasive cervical cancer.
* Compare the accuracy of MRI, CT, and clinical FIGO staging in the evaluation of morphologic tumor prognostic factors in FIGO stage IB1 and stage IB2 and greater in these patients.
* Examine the value of imaging assessment of tumor prognostic factors (alone or in combination) as predictors of recurrence within 2 years of surgery in these patients.
* Evaluate the quality of life in the 12-month period after staging and treatment to potentially change staging accuracy.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Patients undergo a computed tomography scan with iodinated contrast dye followed by a magnetic resonance imaging scan with or without contrast comprising gadopentetate dimeglumine or vice versa.

Within 6 weeks of first protocol imaging study, patients undergo one of the following surgeries:

* Laparoscopic, transabdominal, or transvaginal hysterectomy
* Extrafascial total abdominal hysterectomy
* Trachelectomy Quality of life is assessed at 1 and 12 months.

Patients are followed every 3 months for 1 year and then every 6 months for 1 year.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 465 patients will be accrued for this study within 18 months.

Eligibility Criteria:
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed invasive cervical cancer, including invasive squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, or adenosquamous carcinoma

  * FIGO stage IB1 with clinically visible gross lesion OR
  * FIGO stage IB2 or greater
* Scheduled for one of the following surgeries at a participating Gynecological Oncology Group center:

  * Laparoscopic, transabdominal, or transvaginal hysterectomy
  * Extrafascial total abdominal hysterectomy
  * Trachelectomy
* Not scheduled for a loop electrosurgical excision procedure or a cone biopsy only

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* Not specified

Performance status:

* Not specified

Life expectancy:

* Not specified

Hematopoietic:

* Not specified

Hepatic:

* Not specified

Renal:

* Not specified

Cardiovascular:

* No cardiac pacemakers

Pulmonary:

* No asthma

Other:

* Not pregnant
* No contraindication to computed tomography (CT) (e.g., history of allergy to CT contrast medium)
* No contraindication to magnetic resonance imaging (e.g., intracranial vascular clip)
* No nonmalignant general medical or psychiatric condition that would preclude consent or surgery

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* Not specified

Chemotherapy:

* No prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* Not specified

Radiotherapy:

* No prior radiotherapy for invasive cervical cancer

Surgery:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No prior surgery for invasive cervical cancer

Other:

* No prior medical treatment for invasive cervical cancer