RELATION BETWEEN PREOPERATIVE CT FINDINGS IN RECTAL-CANCER AND LOCAL RECURRENCE RATE - A PILOT-STUDY

To identify predictive factors of local recurrence possible to use as criteria for preoperative radiotherapy, we reviewed the CT scans of 51 patients undergoing curative resection for rectal cancer. Seven patie nts developed local recurrence. The presence of the CT images of spicu lar structures or a fibrous soft tissue layer around the rectum was re lated to extrarectal spread with a positive predictive value of 88% (3 0/34) when compared with the pathology. Six out of 34 cases with these CT findings developed reccurence, compared to only one out of 17 case s without such findings. The recurrence rate was especially high, (4/1 4), in patients where the abnormal tissue as judged by CT was attached to the perirectal fascia or extended beyond it. CT may be a useful to ol for predicting local recurrence by using the perirectal fascia as a diagnostic marker.