Clin Colon Rectal Surg 2017; 30(05): 297-312
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1606107
Review Article
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

How Should Imaging Direct/Orient Management of Rectal Cancer?

Jemma Bhoday
1   Department of Radiology, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust NIHR BRC and Imperial College London, Sutton, Surrey, United Kingdom
,
Svetlana Balyasnikova
1   Department of Radiology, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust NIHR BRC and Imperial College London, Sutton, Surrey, United Kingdom
,
Anita Wale
1   Department of Radiology, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust NIHR BRC and Imperial College London, Sutton, Surrey, United Kingdom
,
Gina Brown
1   Department of Radiology, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust NIHR BRC and Imperial College London, Sutton, Surrey, United Kingdom
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
27 November 2017 (online)

Abstract

Modern rectal cancer management is dependent on preoperative staging, and radiological assessment is a crucial part of this process. Imaging must provide sufficient information to guide preoperative decision-making that is reliable and reproducible. Different methods have been used for local staging; however, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown to be the most reliable tool for this purpose. MRI offers prognostic information about the patients and guides the decision between neoadjuvant treatment and total mesorectal excision alone. Also, not only the initial staging but also restaging by MRI can provide significant information regarding tumor response that is essential when considering alternative approaches.

 
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