Colorectal Cancer:: Imaging Conundrums

Nathan C Hall; Alexander T Ruutiainen

doi:10.1016/j.soc.2017.11.004

Colorectal Cancer:: Imaging Conundrums

Surg Oncol Clin N Am. 2018 Apr;27(2):289-302. doi: 10.1016/j.soc.2017.11.004. Epub 2018 Jan 20.

Authors

Nathan C Hall¹, Alexander T Ruutiainen²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Diagnostic Imaging, Nuclear Medicine, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 410 West 10th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. Electronic address: nathan.hall@uphs.upenn.edu.
² Diagnostic Radiology, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

PMID: 29496090
DOI: 10.1016/j.soc.2017.11.004

Abstract

Progressive technological advancements in imaging have significantly improved the preoperative sensitivity for the detection of very small foci of regionally- or hematogenously-metastatic colorectal cancer. Unfortunately, this information has not translated to continued linear gains in patient survival, and might even result in the false-positive upstaging of some cases: these are two conundrums in the imaging of colorectal cancer. Both conundrums might be resolved by the widespread use of real-time imaging guidance during operative procedures. This might open the way for the widespread use of fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT for the initial staging of patients with colorectal cancer.

Keywords: Colorectal cancer; Computed tomography; Liver; Lymph nodes; Metastases; PET; Surgery; TNM staging.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Colorectal Neoplasms / classification*
Colorectal Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology*
Humans
Neoplasm Staging
Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / methods*
Prognosis