Rectal Cancer Staging with High-resolution 3d Imaging Sequences

INTRODUCTION The introduction of total mesorectal excision (TME) and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy have further promoted pelvic MRI as the staging procedure of choice in rectal cancer [1]. Circumferential resection margin (CRM), local T-stage and nodal stage are the most important factors influencing therapy and outcome, but the optimal imaging protocol to accurately assess these image features is yet under debate [2]. Although the necessity to perform high-resolution T2-weighted imaging is commonly accepted, clinical data with an image slice thickness of less than 3mm is not yet available. In this study we therefore sought to evaluate thin-slice, highresolution pelvic MRI with 3D sequences for rectal cancer staging with a focus on detection of nodal disease and the diagnostic value of contrast enhanced imaging.