Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40802052›Full record

SynthesisAbdominal radiology (New York)2026

Diagnostic and clinical utility of ultrasound elastography for uterine cervical neoplasms-a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.

Fatemeh Mahdavi Sabet, Shayan Forghani, Amirhossein Shahsavand, Mohammadamin Kharaghani, Reza Samiee, Peyman Kamali Hakim, Fahimeh Zeinalkhani

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-AnalysisReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Abdominal radiology (New York), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Placental Stiffness Measured by Sonoelastography in Fetal Growth Restriction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Elastography for distinguishing lymphoma from benign and metastatic lymphadenopathy: a systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis.Cancer imaging : the official publication of the International Cancer Imaging Society · 2026
    Pooled it
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Fatemeh Mahdavi SabetAdvanced Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Research Center (ADIR), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Shayan ForghaniAdvanced Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Research Center (ADIR), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Amirhossein ShahsavandAdvanced Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Research Center (ADIR), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Mohammadamin KharaghaniAdvanced Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Research Center (ADIR), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Reza SamieeAdvanced Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Research Center (ADIR), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Peyman Kamali HakimDepartment of Radiology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Fahimeh ZeinalkhaniAdvanced Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Research Center (ADIR), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. F_zeinalkhani@yahoo.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeCervical cancer remains a major burden, especially in low-resource settings, due to limited screening. Traditional diagnostic tools, like colposcopy, are operator-dependent and often lack accuracy. Ultrasound elastography, including strain elastography (SE) and shear wave elastography (SWE), is a cost-effective, non-invasive tool for assessing tissue stiffness, aiding in distinguishing benign from malignant cervical lesions, and monitoring treatment. This review evaluates elastography's diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility in cervical cancer management.

methodsThis systematic review and meta-analysis was performed following PRISMA 2020 guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42025639380). PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched up to January 2025 for studies utilizing elastography in cervical cancer. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, and SROC curves were calculated using R software and Stata, with heterogeneity and publication bias evaluated.

resultsA total of twenty-three studies were included, with 19 in the meta-analysis. Elastography demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy for both detecting cervical cancer (sensitivity 88.3%, specificity 92%, AUC 0.965) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). SE trended to a non-significantly higher diagnostic accuracy than SWE (p = 0.51). Quantitative parameters differentiated cervical cancer from controls (SMD = 2.59, p < 0.001) and CIN (SMD = 1.75, p = 0.015). Elastography can effectively assess treatment response and tumor invasion.

conclusionElastography aids cervical cancer diagnosis with high sensitivity and specificity, ideal for resource-limited settings due to its affordability and safety. Standardized training and guidelines are needed for consistent use. Future studies should compare SE and SWE, minimize variability, benchmark against MRI, and assess prognostic value.

Indexed as

Elasticity Imaging TechniquesUterine Cervical NeoplasmsFemaleHumansSensitivity and SpecificityCervical cancerElastographyMeta-analysisShear wave elastographyStrain ratioSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID40802052

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.