The Accuracy of Computed Tomography in the Pretreatment T and N Staging of Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequent cancers around the world. Multimodality therapies are used for colorectal cancer including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy. Correct treatment plan depends greatly on the accurate pretreatment staging. Computed tomography (CT) is a widely used detection and staging modality for colorectal cancer patients in clinical practice. The role of CT in assessing the patients with colorectal cancer has been well established, but the accuracy of evaluating and staging colorectal cancer by CT varies in different reports. With the development of CT techniques, some reformations such as multi-detector CT, CT with water enema or air insufflations, multiple planner reconstruction help to give us higher resolution images in shorter time. CT is playing an increasingly important role in pretreatment staging of colorectal cancer, though magnetic resonance imaging and endorectal ultrasound may provide more precise images and evaluation of local T and N staging of rectal cancer. Finally, positron emission tomography (PET) or PET/CT have not shown significant improvement over CT after completion of standard pretreatment evaluation.