title: Is there a benefit in using magnetic resonance imaging in the prediction of preoperative neoadjuvant therapy response in locally advanced rectal cancer?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in predicting responses in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer after preoperative neoadjuvant therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Articles in English language relating to the accuracy of MRI for this utility were retrieved. Methodological quality was assessed by Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool. Pooled estimation and subgroup analysis data were obtained by statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen studies involved 751 pathologically confirmed patients met the inclusion criteria. Methodological quality was relatively high. To predict histopathological response in locally advanced rectal cancer by MRI, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.78 [95 % confidence intervals (CI), 0.65, 0.87] and 0.81 (95 % CI, 0.72, 0.87), respectively. Positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio were 4.1 (95 %CI, 2.9, 5.8) and 0.27 (95 % CI, 0.17, 0.43), respectively. Subgroup analysis showing that imaging was performed at 3.0 T MRI devices had higher pooled sensitivity (0.92, 95 % CI, 0.84, 1.00) than the subgroup of MRI with ≤1.5 T (0.68, 95 % CI, 0.53, 0.82) (p < 0.05).The sensitivity and specificity of T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) were 0.92 (95 % CI, 0.81, 1.00) and 0.75 (95 % CI, 0.54, 0.95); those of T2WI alone were 0.64 (95 % CI, 0.47, 0.82) and 0.88 (95 % CI, 0.81, 0.94) (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis indicates that MRI is an accurate tool in predicting pathologic response after preoperative therapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. It is suggested to perform MRI by 3.0 T devices, which might be sensitive to identify responder. The addition of DWI to T2WI showed a non-significant improvement in sensitivity, which deserves further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 1630 Dongfang Road, Shanghai 200127, China. wlmssmu@gmail.com
authors.forename: Lian-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jiani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Hai-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian-Rong
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D017594:Publication Bias; D012372:ROC Curve; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome