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Rectal Cancer pp 1–19Cite as

Clinical Staging: Endoscopic Techniques

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Part of the book series: Current Clinical Oncology ((CCO))

Abstract

Patients with locally advanced rectal cancer benefit from neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy followed by either a sphincter-sparing operation or abdominoperineal resection. Clinical decisions regarding neoadjuvant therapy and type of surgical approach rely on accurate preoperative staging. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and endorectal ultrasound (ERUS) are the main modalities used for staging rectal cancer. While each has its own advantages and disadvantages, ERUS is our preferred initial staging tool. It can be performed by surgeons, providing an office-based study with results and interpretation available during the patient’s visit. It is well tolerated by patients, and it requires minimal preparation and no sedation. The accuracy of ERUS, when utilized by an experienced practitioner, is 84% for assessing depth of tumor invasion and 74% for assessing nodal status.1 While ERUS is operator dependent, its accuracy can improve with experience and standardization.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Hueylan Chern MD & W. Douglas Wong MD

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  1. Hueylan Chern MD
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  2. W. Douglas Wong MD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, USA

    Brian G. Czito

  2. Dept. Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, USA

    Christopher G. Willett

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© 2010 Humana Press

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Chern, H., Wong, W.D. (2010). Clinical Staging: Endoscopic Techniques. In: Czito, B., Willett, C. (eds) Rectal Cancer. Current Clinical Oncology. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-567-5_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-567-5_1

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-60761-566-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-60761-567-5

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