Content area
Full Text
Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) directed multidisciplinary team discussion of rectal cancer significantly reduces positive circumferential resection margin (CRM) rates.1 In 2010, the Central Cancer Network (CCN) in the lower North Island adopted the United Kingdom Royal College of Radiologists cancer medical imaging guidelines Recommendations for Cross Sectional Imaging in Cancer Management.2
They recommend eight key findings when reporting pelvic MRI for locoregional staging of rectal cancer; tumour site, height from anal verge, infiltrating border morphology, extramural venous invasion, depth of extramural spread, nodal stage, organ invasion and distance to CRM.
The accuracy of MRI staging in rectal cancer outside of expert centres is unknown. Hawke's Bay Hospital (a provincial centre) is part of the CCN and its medical oncology services are provided by MidCentral District Health Board. Patients from the Hawke's Bay with potentially curable rectal cancer are considered for neoadjuvant treatment following discussion by the MidCentral Gastrointestinal Multidisciplinary Team (GIMDT).
An audit was performed to assess the compliance frequency of Hawke's Bay Hospital pelvic MRI reports for rectal...