Abstract

Introduction: Colorectal cancer is the most common type of cancer in the gastrointestinal tract. Preoperative staging is important for applying appropriate treatment modalities. The role of ERUS, MRI and PET-CT in rectal cancer patients was evaluated.
Methods: Between October 2010 – April 2012, 30 rectal cancer patients who were diagnosed with rectal cancer clinically and histopathologically were evaluated prospectively with ERUS, MR and PET-CT preoperatively and results were compared with histopathologic findings.
Results: 21 of 30 cases received neoadjuvant treatment. All patients were evaluated with MRI, ERUS and PET-CT preoperatively. For T and N staging,MRI and ERUS did not show statistically significant differences. PET-CT detected false positive distant metastasis in three patients.
Conclusion: Efficacy of routine use of PET-CT on staging, evaluation of T, N and extramesorectal spread could not be shown.

Key words: Rectum Cancer, Imaging Methods, PET-CT