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The optimized rectal cancer MRI protocol: choosing the right sequences, sequence parameters, and preparatory strategies

  • Special Section: Rectal Cancer
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Abdominal Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pelvic MRI plays a critical role in rectal cancer staging and treatment response assessment. Despite a consensus regarding the essential protocol components of a rectal cancer MRI, substantial differences in image quality persist across institutions and vendor software/hardware platforms. In this review, we present image optimization strategies for rectal cancer MRI examinations, including but not limited to preparation strategies, high-resolution T2-weighted imaging, and diffusion-weighted imaging. Our specific recommendations are supported by case studies from multiple institutions. Finally, we describe an ongoing initiative by the Society of Abdominal Radiology’s Disease-Focused Panel (DFP) on Rectal and Anal Cancer to create standardized rectal cancer MRI protocols across scanner platforms.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. David Kim, University of Wisconsin, for sharing the images used in Figure 1 and Dr. Vetri Sudar Jayaprakasam, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, for sharing the images used in Figure 2.

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The authors have not disclosed any funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 510 S. Kingshighway Blvd, Campus, Box 8131, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA

    Tyler J. Fraum

  2. Department of Imaging Physics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Jingfei Ma

  3. Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Kartik Jhaveri

  4. Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Pankaj Nepal & Mukesh Harisinghani

  5. Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA

    Chandana Lall

  6. Department of Radiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA

    James Costello

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Correspondence to Tyler J. Fraum.

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TJF: research support, Siemens Healthineers; honoraria, PrecisCa Oncology. JM: intellectual property licensed to Siemens Healthineers and GE Healthcare; consultant, C4 Imaging. KJ, PN, CL, JC, MH declare they have no financial ties to disclose.

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Fraum, T.J., Ma, J., Jhaveri, K. et al. The optimized rectal cancer MRI protocol: choosing the right sequences, sequence parameters, and preparatory strategies. Abdom Radiol 48, 2771–2791 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-023-03850-z

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