Imaging prior to second-look surgery for carcinoma

Technical advances in imaging are barely keeping pace with the need for detailed pre-operative imaging in second-look surgery. Although the majority of intra-abdominal recurrence can be detected at surgery, pre-operative knowledge of possible sites of involvement will provide more efficient use of operative time. Dynamic incremental bolus CT is the modality of choice when evaluating these patients, even though magnetic resonance imaging is approaching, and may exceed, computed tomography in utility in the abdomen. Monoclonal antibody radioimmunoscintigraphy is useful for extra-abdominal sites of recurrence. Further technical advancement is needed to make it useful in the abdomen.