The Value of High-Resolution T2-Weighted Mri to Evaluate Local Staging of Rectal Cancer

Purpose: To describe imaging characteristics of rectal cancer on high-resolution T2-weighted MRI in predicting local staging of rectal cancer Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study aimed at evaluating the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and correlation coefficient of MRI in staging T (tumor) and N (lymph node involvement) in patients with rectal cancer. The study used a high-resolution T2 weighted on 3 Tesla MRI to assess the pre-treatment stage compared with histopathology results after surgery. Results: The study involved a sample of 48 patients, consisting of 27 men and 21 women. The pre-treatment stage was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), considering stages as T1, T2, T3, and T4 were 2 (4.2%), 6 (12.5%), 36 (75%) and 4 (8.3%); staged as N0, N1, N2 were 19 (39.6%), 17 (35.4%), 4 (8.3%). A total of 21 patients underwent surgical procedures, and this study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI with a high-resolution T2 weighted in comparison to the overall postoperative pathology were 100%, 75%, 90.5% for T1-3 staging and 75%, 76.92%, 76.19% for N0-2 staging. The κ values were 0.714 and 0.199 for T1-3 and N0-2 staging, respectively. Conclusion: MRI with a high-resolution T2 weighted has significant value in the diagnosis of local staging of rectal cancer, particularly in determining the T stage. The precise local staging plays a crucial role in selecting the appropriate treatment methods, and prolongation of survival time for individuals with rectal cancer.