title: [Preoperative evaluation of rectal cancer].
abstract: For a patient with a rectal tumor, the preoperative staging should answer four questions: Is the rectal tumor unique? Is the patient operable? Are there distal metastases? What is the loco-regional extension? The loco-regional extension is well evaluated by the echo-endoscopy while the involvement of the surrounding organs is better assessed by CT-scan or resonance magnetic imaging.
authors.affiliation: Service Médico-Chirurgical de Gastro-entérologie, Hôpital Erasme, U.L.B.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Gossum
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Van Laethem
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demols
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zalcman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van de Stadt
mesh_terms: D001466:Barium Sulfate; D003287:Contrast Media; D019160:Endosonography; D004733:Enema; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D010173:Palpation; D018579:Patient Selection; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011351:Proctoscopy; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D001466:Barium Sulfate