Rectal cancer: possibilities of MRI in detection of local recurrence

Treatment of rectal cancer, which includes periodic evaluations, may lead to earlier identification of recurrent local infiltration. Differentiation between local recurrence and other post radiation changes is frequently rather difficult. Pelvic MR examination was performed in 30 patients (20 men, 10 women) at the Institute of oncology, Sremska Kamenica. All patients underwent surgical resection of rectal cancer at the same institution. Preoperative or postoperative radiation therapy was administrated in 29 patients (93%). Criteria for detection of local recurrent tumours were based on morphologic changes, such as the presence of tumour inflltration, size increase of the mass and the change of the mass shape. Recurrent tumor inflitration was detected in 50% patients. Tumours of low differentiation histological type was predominantly found within 10 months after surgery, while moderately differentiated and high differentiated types were detected within 20 months and after 20 months after resection, respectively. Pelvic MR examination represents important diagnostic modality for recurrent rectal cancer identification.