Discriminating tumor deposits and metastatic lymph nodes in rectal cancer with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

Motivation: Rectal cancer survival is impacted by local recurrence and metastasis. Risk factors included tumor deposits (TDs) and metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs). Goal(s): To investigate the value of DCE-MRI parameters in distinguishing (TDs) from (MLNs) in rectal cancer, and to compare their effectiveness with T2WI and DWI. Approach: In a retrospective analysis of 70 rectal cancer patients, 168 lesions were evaluated using DCE-MRI and DWI, focusing on parameters like Ktrans, kep, and ve. Results: Significant differences between TDs and MLNs were found, with ve showing the highest AUC (0.772). A combined model improved diagnostic accuracy to an AUC of 0.833. Impact: A combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can assist in preoperative differentiation between TDs and MLNs in rectal cancer.