## 3 Results  
Our analysis included n. 92 patients with diagnosis of locally advanced cervical cancer. Demographic and clinical data, MRI parameters and histological examination are shown in Table 1. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l} \hline Age at diagnosis (years), mean \(\pm\) SD & 48.9 \(\pm\) 11.5 \\ Parity, median (IQR) & 2 (1–3) \\ Premenopausal, n. (\%) & 50 (54.3\%) \\ FGO stage, n. (\%) & 4/92 (4.3\%) \\ IB2 & 23/92 (25\%) \\ IIA1 & 1/92 (1.1\%) \\ IIA2 & 16/92 (17.4\%) \\ IIB & 29/92 (31.5\%) \\ IIIC1 & 19/92 (20.7\%) \\ Neoadjuvant therapy, n. (\%) & n. cycles \\ Paclitaxel-carboplatin & 46/92 (50\%) & 9 \\ Cisplatin-vinorelbine & 39/92 (42.4\%) & 3 \\ Topotecan-cispatin & 6/92 (6.5\%) & 2 \\ Paclitaxel-ifosfamide-cispatin & 1/92 (1.1\%) & 3 \\ Pre-treatment MRI & \\ Largest diameter of lesion (mm), mean \(\pm\) SD & 44.6 \(\pm\) 10.5 \\ Lymph node involvement, n. (\%) & 19/92 (20.7\%) \\ Fomix infiltration, n. (\%) & 46/92 (50\%) \\ Parametric infiltration, n (\%) & 46/92 (50\%) \\ Vescico-vaginal septum infiltration, n (\%) & 1 (1.1\%) \\ Recto-vaginal septum infiltration, n (\%) & 1 (1.1\%) \\ Post-treatment MRI & \\ Largest diameter of lesion (mm), mean\(\pm\) SD & 19.6 \(\pm\) 12.5 \\ Lymph node involvement, n. (\%) & 4/92 (4.3\%) \\ Fomix infiltration, n. (\%) & 5/92 (5.4\%) \\ Parametertium infiltration, n (\%) & 4/92 (4.3\%) \\ Vescico-vaginal septum infiltration, n (\%) & 0 (0) \\ Recist criteria & \\ CR, n. (\%) & 19/92 (21\%) \\ PR, n. (\%) & 67/92 (73\%) \\ SD, n. (\%) & 5/92 (6\%) \\ Histotypes, n. (\%) & \\ Squamous cell carcinoma & 70/92 (76.1\%) \\ Adenocarcinoma & 18/92 (19.6\%) \\ Adenosquamous carcinoma & 4/92 (4.3\%) \\ Grading, n. (\%) & \\ G1 & 13/92 (14\%) \\ G2 & 32/92 (35\%) \\ G3 & 47/92 (51\%) \\ pN0, n. (\%) & 76/92 (83\%) \\ pN+, n. (\%) & 16/92 (17\%) \\ Persistence of cervix disease after NACT & 73/92 (79\%) \\ Further treatment needed & 25/92 (27\%) \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Demographic and clinical data, MRI parameters and histological examination. Patients had a mean age (\(\pm\)SD) of 48.9 \(\pm\) 11.5 years at diagnosis and n. 50 (54.3%) patients were premenopausal. All patients underwent neoadjuvant therapy; n. 46/92 (50%) paclitaxel-carboplatin, n. 39/92 (42.4%) cisplatin-vinorelbine, n. 6/92 (6.5%) topotecancisplatin, n. 1/92 (1.1%) paclitaxel-ifosfamide-cisplatin (TIP)). 24-month PFS was achieved by 70/92 patients (76.1%, imbalanced classes). At pre-treatment MRI the largest diameter of lesion (mm), mean \(\pm\) SD was 44.6 \(\pm\) 10.5, lymph node involvement occurred in n. 19/92 (20.7%), forrix infiltration in n. 46/92 (50%), parametrium infiltration in 46/92 (50%), vescico-vaginal septum infiltration in n. 1 (1.1%), recto-vaginal septum infiltration in n. 1 (1.1%). At post-treatment MRI the largest diameter of lesion (mm), mean \(\pm\) SD was 19.6 \(\pm\) 12.5, lymph node involvement occurred in n. 4/92 (4.3%), forrix infiltration in n. 5/92 (5.4%), parametrium infiltration in 4/92 (4.3%), vescico-vaginal septum infiltration in n. 0 (0%), recto-vaginal septum infiltration in n. 0 (0%). RECIST criteria showed CR in n. 19/92 (21%), PR in n. 67/92 (73%), SD in n. 6/92 (6%). At histopathological analysis histotypes were n. 70/92 (76.1%) squamous cell carcinoma, n. 18/92 (19.6%) adenocarcinoma, n. 4/92 (4.3%) adenosquamous carcinoma. Grading was G1 in n. 13/92 (14%), G2 in n. 32/92 (35%), G3 in n. 47/92 (51). Lymph node involvement occurred in n. 16/92 (17%). Persistence of cervix disease after NACT was verified in 73/92 (79%); n. 25/92 patients (27%) needed further treatment. RFE retrieved an attribute core set used to train machine learning algorithms including the presence/absence of fornix infiltration at pre-treatment MRI as well as the presence/absence of either parametrium invasion and lymph nodes involvement at post-radical surgery histopathology. The final dataset had a dimensionality of 92 columns \(\times\) 4 rows (n.3 selected attributes plus n. 1 target class (PFS at 24 months, as above mentioned).