Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the dynamic changes of blood perfusion coinciding with tumor regression after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC).

Methods Thirty patients with LACC received conventional 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging and perfusion-weighted imaging scans at 3 different times (before NACT, 2 weeks after the first NACT, and 2 weeks after the second NACT). Characteristics of time-intensity diagrams and patterns of blood perfusion maps according to the parameter of area under the curve (AUC) were observed. Eight perfusion parameters were compared among 3 time points at 2 different chemotherapy-sensitive groups by the software of Basic T1 Perfusion.

Results The effective chemotherapy rate was 73.3% (22/30). The characteristic of time-intensity diagrams in cervical cancer was a rapid onset with plateau. There were 3 patterns of AUC perfusion maps. The common perfusion map was rich blood supply type in the effective chemotherapy group and peripheral blood supply type in the ineffective chemotherapy group. Four parameter values (relative enhancement, maximum enhancement, wash-in rate, and AUC) were significantly reduced 2 weeks after the second NACT than those before the therapy (P = 0.000; P = 0.009; P = 0.011; and P = 0.000) in the effective chemotherapy group, especially the value of relative enhancement 2 weeks after the first NACT, was obviously decreased compared to that before the therapy (P = 0.042). The value of time to peak 2 weeks after the second NACT was significantly longer than that before the therapy in the effective chemotherapy group (P = 0.001). There were no obvious changes of blood perfusion parameters among the 3 different times in the ineffective chemotherapy group.

Conclusions Tumor blood perfusion has obviously decreased after effective NACT in the treatment of LACC.