IMAGING IN COLORECTAL-CARCINOMA

Colorectal carcinoma is the most common gastrointestinal malignancy, and the second most common cancer in both men and women. Surgery is offered to most patients with this tumour. Preoperative staging is important for appropriate management and therapy. To date, imaging with various modalities including barium, ultrasound, CT and MRT has been of limited value in accurately staging colorectal tumour because of the inability to define microinfiltration into the pericolic and perirectal tissues and also to detect micrometastases in normal-sized lymph nodes. Cross-sectional imaging is particularly useful in detecting and staging recurring colorectal tumour. The application of these various imaging modalities will be discussed.