Local magnetic resonance imaging staging of rectal adenocarcinoma

Successful multidisciplinary evaluation of potentially resectable rectal adenocarcinoma depends on high-resolution preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Magnetic resonance imaging accurately identifies important risk factors of local recurrence and distant metastasis, thus facilitating enhanced preoperative prognostic stratification and treatment. When combined with appropriate neoadjuvant chemotherapy and total mesorectal excision, the treatment of rectal cancer has dramatically improved. Accurate local staging by MRI requires a robust combination of imaging sequences. Herein, we review MRI imaging and rectal anatomy related to the staging of rectal adenocarcinoma.