title: Mini-probe ultrasonography for the staging of colon cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  With an increasing array of treatment modalities available for colon cancer, it is increasingly important to stage tumours accurately to allocate the appropriate management. This study evaluated the accuracy of mini-probe endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in assigning clinical stage to colon cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  An electronic search was performed in January 2013 using the Embase, MEDLINE and Cochrane databases. This was supplemented by a hand search of published abstracts from scientific meetings. Trials evaluating the accuracy of the mini-probe EUS compared with histopathological grade in determining the clinical stage of colon cancer were included in this pooled analysis. The main outcome measures included accuracy, sensitivity and specificity for T and N staging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten studies were identified which compared the mini-probe EUS staging of 642 colon or rectal cancers with the histopathological specimen. The pooled sensitivity and specificity for staging were 0.91 and 0.98 for T1 tumours, 0.78 and 0.94 for T2 tumours, 0.97 and 0.90 for T3/T4 tumours and 0.63 and 0.82 for nodal staging. Eight per cent of T1/T2 tumours were upstaged to T3/T4 tumours and 5% of T3/T4 tumours were downstaged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mini-probe EUS is highly effective for assigning clinical stage in colon cancer and in identifying patients who may be suitable for nonsurgical treatment including neoadjuvant chemotherapy or endoscopic resection.
authors.affiliation: Academic Surgical Unit, St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: T M H
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Gall
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Markar
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haji
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Faiz
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D019160:Endosonography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Colon cancer; EUS; mini-probe; staging