MRI of early rectal cancer; bisacodyl micro-enema increases submucosal width, reader confidence, and tumor conspicuity.

Purpose: To investigate the influence of a micro-enema on diagnostic performance, submucosal width, reader confidence, and tumor conspicuity using MRI to stage early rectal cancers (ERC).

Methods: In this single-center study, we consecutively included 50 participants with assumed ERC who all completed MRI with (MRin) and without (MRex) a micro-enema. The diagnostic performance was recorded for two experienced radiologists using histopathology as the gold standard.

Early rectal cancer: The diagnostic performance of MRI supplemented with a rectal micro-enema and a modified staging system to identify tumors eligible for local excision.

Background: In staging early rectal cancers (ERC), submucosal tumor depth is one of the most important features determining the possibility of local excision (LE). The micro-enema (Bisacodyl) induces submucosal edema and may hypothetically improve the visualization of tumor depth.

Purpose: To test the diagnostic performance of MRI to identify ERC suitable for LE when adding a pre-procedural micro-enema and concurrent use of a modified classification system.

Magnetic resonance imaging of anal cancer: tumor characteristics and early prediction of treatment outcome.

Purpose: To analyze tumor characteristics derived from pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA) before and during chemoradiotherapy (CRT), and to compare the changes in these characteristics between scans of responders vs. nonresponders to CRT.

Methods: We included 52 patients with a pelvic 3T MRI scan prior to CRT (baseline scan); 39 of these patients received an additional scan during week 2 of CRT (second scan).