Faster and more accurate staging of rectal cancer through a two-sequence MR protocol based on high-resolution T1-weighted post-contrast 3D SPGR imaging

A fast 10-min MRI protocol for rectal cancer staging based on a high-resolution T1-weighted post-contrast sequence was compared to a conventional 30-40 min protocol based on multiple planes of T2-weighted imaging. With IRB approval, 37 consecutive patients were retrospectively identified whose MRI rectal cancer staging studies contained the necessary sequences allowing creation of conventional and hypothetical fast protocols. Two blinded readers assessed each protocol for findings determining cancer stage. The fast 10-min MRI staging protocol was significantly more accurate for assessment of nodal disease and rectal cancer stage, and allowed significantly more confidence in assessment for transmural extension of tumor.