WEDNESDAY, Oct. 23, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Some rectal cancer patients might be spared surgery and the lifelong need for a colostomy bag if they undergo MRI screening, a new study finds. The scans might accurately predict which patients have a higher odds for cancer recurrence and require surgery plus chemotherapy, and which can forgo surgery and opt for a "watch-and-wait" strategy instead.
“After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for rectal cancer, patients are understandably concerned whether their cancer is gone or whether there may be some leftover disease," explained study lead author Dr. Arun Krishnaraj. "Using newer MRI techniques, we are now able to predict much better than in the past whether any cancer remains and, if so, whether it will come back and spread,” said Krishnaraj, who directs the body imaging division at the University of Virginia's UVA Health system.
His team published its findings recently in the journal Radiology . Rectal cancer is relatively common, with about 46,220 new cases diagnosed in the United States each year (27,330 in men and 18,890 in women), according to the American Cancer Society . Deaths from rectal cancer are included in statistics for colorectal cancers (colon or rectum), which kill more than 54,000 Americans annually.
Seeking to preserve patients' bowel function, doctors ideally want to treat rectal cancers with radiation and chemotherapy alone. However, some patients may require surgery, a procedure called "total mesorec.
