title: Colorectal cancer staging: comparison of whole-body PET/CT and PET/MR.
abstract: Correct staging is imperative for colorectal cancer (CRC) since it influences both prognosis and management. Several imaging methods are used for this purpose, with variable performance. Positron emission tomography-magnetic resonance (PET/MR) is an innovative imaging technique recently employed for clinical application. The present study was undertaken to compare the staging accuracy of whole-body positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) with whole-body PET/MR in patients with both newly diagnosed and treated colorectal cancer.
  
  
  
  Twenty-six patients, who underwent same day whole-body (WB) PET/CT and WB-PET/MR, were evaluated. PET/CT and PET/MR studies were interpreted by consensus by a radiologist and a nuclear medicine physician. Correlations with prior imaging and follow-up studies were used as the reference standard. Correct staging was compared between methods using McNemar's Chi square test.
  
  
  
  The two methods were in agreement and correct for 18/26 (69%) patients, and in agreement and incorrect for one patient (3.8%). PET/MR and PET/CT stages for the remaining 7/26 patients (27%) were discordant, with PET/MR staging being correct in all seven cases. PET/MR significantly outperformed PET/CT overall for accurate staging (P = 0.02).
  
  
  
  PET/MR outperformed PET/CT in CRC staging. PET/MR might allow accurate local and distant staging of CRC patients during both at the time of diagnosis and during follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University Medical School, 149 Thirteenth Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA. onofriocatalano@yahoo.it.|Department of Radiology, Abdominal Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, WHT 270, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. onofriocatalano@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Onofrio A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of São Paulo Medical School (FMUSP) and Hospital Sirio-Libanes, Sao Paulo, 01308-050, Brazil.
authors.forename: Artur M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Abdominal Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, WHT 270, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Dushyant V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Sahani
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, MGH Biostatistics Center and MGH Martinos Center, Harvard University Medical School, 149 Thirteenth Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Vangel
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Abdominal Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, WHT 270, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.|Department of Radiology, Pediatric Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gee
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Abdominal Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, WHT 270, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Peter F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University Medical School, 149 Thirteenth Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Witzel
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Naples Parthenope, Via F. Acton 38, 80143, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soricelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, SDN IRCCS, Via Gianturco 113, 80143, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salvatore
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University Medical School, 149 Thirteenth Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
authors.forename: Ciprian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catana
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University Medical School, 149 Thirteenth Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.|Department of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Umar
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mahmood
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University Medical School, 149 Thirteenth Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Abdominal Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, WHT 270, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gervais
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D051598:Whole Body Imaging
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals
keywords: Colorectal cancer; PET/CT; PET/MR; Staging; Whole-body staging