Diagnostic Accuracy of MRI and Clinical Examination in Estimating Tumor Size in Early-Stage Cervical Carcinoma

Background: Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women globally, particularly in developing countries. Accurate tumor size estimation is critical for staging and treatment planning in early-stage cervical carcinoma. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of MRI and clinical examination in estimating tumor size in early-stage cervical carcinoma. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Gynecological Oncology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh, from January 2020 to December 2020. A total of 40 patients diagnosed with early-stage cervical carcinoma (FIGO stage Ib1–IIa1) were enrolled in the study. Tumor size was recorded by clinical examination, MRI, and histopathology post-radical hysterectomy. Pearson’s correlation and size estimation accuracy within ±0.5 cm was analyzed. Results: MRI showed a stronger correlation with histopathology (r = 0.7567; p = 0.001) than with clinical examination (r = 0.5707; p = 0.001). MRI demonstrated higher accuracy in tumors ≥2.0 cm, particularly in the 2.0–3.9 cm group (22.5% vs. 7.5% for clinical). MRI also outperformed clinical examination in estimating tumors ≥4.0 cm (30.0% vs. 25.0% accuracy within ±0.5 cm). Conclusion: MRI is more accurate than clinical examination in tumor size estimation and should be integrated into standard cervical cancer staging protocols. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52783/jchr.v15.3.8933