PRIMARY TUMOR STAGING OF GASTRIC AND COLORECTAL-CANCER

Almost 15 years after its introduction, endosonography or endoscopic u ltrasonography is an important technique in a wide range of gastrointe stinal diseases. Other imaging techniques are CT, MRI and barium exami nation. There is a general consensus that the most important prognosti c factor in gastric and colorectal carcinoma is the presence or absenc e of lymph node invasion, but malignant fixation of tumour through dir ect invasion of adjacent tissues also appears to be very important. No n-invasive preoperative assessment of tumour stage based on one or a c ombination of the above imaging modalities should allow appropriate tr eatment to be planned in each case.