OVERVIEW OF IMAGING IN COLORECTAL-CANCER

Accurate staging of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) at initial diagnosis is critical for proper management of this disease. Computed tomography ( CT) is often used for preoperative staging and is complementary to the clinical assessment of the patient and to the use of other imaging te chniques, such as endoluminal ultrasound (US). CT can identify those p atients who may benefit from local radiation therapy, hepatic resectio n or cryoablation, or intra-arterial chemotherapy. Endoluminal US may detect patients with early disease and alter their course of therapy, especially in those with rectal carcinoma in which limited surgery mig ht be performed. CT is generally the modality of choice for imaging th e postoperative patient. CT clearly depicts the operative area, partic ularly after abdominoperitoneal resection, and can be used to guide pe rcutaneous biopsy of masses. The role of magnetic resonance imaging in CRC remains to be defined. In this review, we discuss the current rol es of these various imaging modalities in the management of this disea se.