Evaluation of Amide Proton Transfer Imaging Combined With Serum Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen for Grading Cervical Cancer.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study is to investigate the efficacy of amide proton transfer-weighted (APT) imaging combined with serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) in grading cervical cancer.

METHODS

Sixty-three patients with surgically confirmed cervical SCC were enrolled and categorized into 3 groups: highly differentiated (G1), moderately differentiated (G2), and poorly differentiated (G3). The diagnostic efficacies of APT imaging and serum SCC-Ag, alone or in combination, for grading cervical SCC were compared.

RESULTS

The APT values measured by the 2 observers were in excellent agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.75). Mean (± standard deviation) APT values for the high, moderate, and poor differentiation groups were 2.542 ± 0.215% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.423-2.677), 2.784 ± 0.175% (95% CI: 2.701-2.856), and 3.120 ± 0.221% (95% CI: 2.950-3.250), respectively. APT values for groups G2 and G3 were significantly higher than those for G1 ( P  < 0.05). APT values for identifying cervical SCC in groups G1 and G2, G2 and G3, and G1 and G3, had areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivities, and specificities of 0.815 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.674-0.914), 82.1%, and 72.2%, 0.882 (95% CI: 0.751-0.959), 70.6%, and 92.7%, and 0.961 (95% CI: 0.835-0.998), 94.1%, and 94.4%, respectively. APT values were significantly and positively correlated with the histological grade of cervical SCC (Spearman's correlation [ rs ] = 0.731, P  < 0.01). Serum SCC-Ag levels for the high, moderate, and poor differentiation groups were 1.60 (0.88-4.63) ng/mL, 4.10 (1.85-6.98) ng/mL, and 26.10 (9.65-70.00) ng/mL, respectively. The differences were statistically significant only between groups G1 and G3 and G2 and G3 ( P  < 0.05), whereas the differences between groups G1 and G2 were not statistically significant ( P  > 0.05). Spearman's analysis revealed a positive correlation between SCC-Ag levels and the histological grade of cervical SCC ( rs  = 0.573, P  < 0.01). The diagnostic efficacy of APT imaging for the histological grading of cervical SCC was better than that of serum SCC-Ag, and the discriminatory efficacy of the combination of the 2 parameters was better than that of either alone.

CONCLUSIONS

The diagnostic efficacy of APT imaging was better than that of serum SCC-Ag, and the combined diagnostic utility of APT and SCC-Ag was better than that of the individual parameters.