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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · South Asian J Cancer 2024; 13(04): 236-240
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1802336
Review Article
Diagnosis

CT and MR Imaging in Colorectal Carcinoma: A Tool for Diagnosis, Staging, Response Evaluation, and Follow-Up

Samarjit Singh Ghuman
1   Department of Radiology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
Rohit Kochhar
2   Department of Radiology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
,
Harsh Mahajan
3   Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET CT, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
T.B.S. Buxi
1   Department of Radiology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
Arun Gupta
4   Department of Interventional Radiology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
Anil Arora
5   Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
K.K. Saxena
6   Department of Oncology, Sant Parmanand Hospital, Delhi, India
,
Seema Sud
7   Department of Radiology, CT Scan and MRI, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
Aditi Sud
7   Department of Radiology, CT Scan and MRI, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
Kishan Rawat
7   Department of Radiology, CT Scan and MRI, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
Munish K. Sachdeva
5   Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
Ajit Yadav
4   Department of Interventional Radiology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
Saumitra Rawat
5   Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
Shyam Aggarwal
8   Department of Medical Oncology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
Purvish M. Parikh
9   Department of Clinical Hematology, Sri Ram Cancer Center, Mahatma Gandhi University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
,
C. Selvasekar
10   Clinical Services and Specialist Surgery, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
› Author Affiliations Funding None.
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Abstract

The present review highlights the role of computed tomography (CT), CT colonography (CTC), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis, staging, response evaluation, and follow-up of colorectal cancer. For a CT scan, prior bowel preparation is required. This is done to enhance imaging of the colon with the use of oral or rectal contrast agents. Negative contrast like air or carbon dioxide are helpful in detecting polyps and masses by distending the colon. Virtual colonoscopy offers a lower-radiation alternative for polyp and cancer detection. Intravenous contrast administration with arterial and venous phase CT images is also important in complete staging of a known case of colon cancer and for evaluation of residual/recurrent disease. With respect to MRI, high-resolution T2-weighted images in multiple planes are important, with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences being important for restaging. Intravenous contrast is not generally recommended. Contrast-enhanced CT and MRI are used for nodal and distant metastasis staging, with special attention to the pelvic side wall nodes. Positron emission tomography (PET) CT is to be considered for further evaluation if the findings are unclear and recurrence is suspected.

Keywords

response criteria - radiology - contrast


Publication History

Article published online:
24 January 2025

© 2025. MedIntel Services Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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