title: MRI staging of low rectal cancer.
abstract: Low rectal tumours, especially those treated by abdominoperineal excision (APE), have a high rate of margin involvement when compared with tumours elsewhere in the rectum. Correct surgical management to minimise this rate of margin involvement is reliant on highly accurate imaging, which can be used to plan the planes of excision. In this article we describe the techniques for accurate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessment and a novel staging system for low rectal tumours. Using this staging system it is possible for the radiologist to demonstrate accurately tumour-free planes for surgical excision of low rectal tumours.
authors.affiliation: Pelican Cancer Foundation, North Hampshire Hospital, Basingstoke, UK.
authors.forename: Oliver C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Shihab
authors.forename: Brendan J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Heald
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Quirke
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011871:Radiology / Q000379:methods; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results