A trial looking at MRI scans and tissue samples to predict how well radiotherapy will work for cancer of the cervix (CTCR-CE 01)
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This trial was to see if it was possible to predict the results of radiotherapy for cervical cancer.
Doctors usually treat cancer of the cervix with combinations of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. But they cannot always say how well the treatment will work.
Researchers wanted to see if they can predict how well radiotherapy worked for cervical cancer. They used a type of MRI scan called a dynamic enhanced MRI scan (DCE MRI scan). They took scans of women who were to have radiotherapy for cervical cancer before, during and after their course of treatment. They also collected samples (
) of cervical cancer tissue from the same women, before, during and after their treatment. They then saw how these cells were affected by radiotherapy using a process called ‘tumour molecular profiling’ and by looking at the MRI scans. They hoped to see a link between how well the treatment worked and how the cells looked and behaved before and after radiotherapy.
They hoped that doctors in future may be able to check new patients’ scan results or biopsies against the tumour molecular profiles they collected. This would help them decide whether radiotherapy would be the best treatment for that patient.
The aim of this trial was to find a way of predicting how well radiotherapy treated cancer of the cervix. If the results looked promising, researchers would recruit more people into a larger trial.
Summary of results
The study team found they could use DCE MRI scans to predict how well cervical cancer responded to radiotherapy.
The 13 women recruited into this study had a total of 38 DCE MRI scans between them.
As a part of the DCE MRI scan they had an injection of a to highlight the blood flow to the cervical cancer. They then used this to work out how much blood flowed to the cancer and also to work out how large it was. They did a couple of different calculations to try and work out which one would be best.
When they looked at the DCE MRI scans they found there was a link between the amount of blood flow to the cancer before radiotherapy and how well it responded to treatment.
They also found that there was no link between the size of the cancer and how well it responded to treatment.
The study team concluded that DCE MRI scans could be used to predict how well cervical cancer responded to radiotherapy. We need further research to find out which method of calculation was best and to see if other hospitals can get the same results.
We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists () and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.
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How to join a clinical trial
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Chief Investigator
Dr Li Tee Tan
Supported by
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
National Institute for Health Research Cancer Research Network (NCRN)
Royal College of Radiologists
University of Cambridge
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
