Can MRI Predict Patient Outcomes and the Risk of Tumor Recurrence in Rectal Cancer Cases? Study Sheds Light
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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can spare many patients with rectal cancer from invasive surgery that can carry lifelong side effects, new research indicates.
The findings, from UVA Cancer Center’s Arun Krishnaraj, MD, MPH, and collaborators, indicate that MRI can predict patient outcomes and the risk of the tumor reccurring or spreading for patients who have undergone chemotherapy and radiation.
That information could be extremely useful in determining the best course of treatment and deciding whether a patient can avoid surgery in favor of a “watch and wait” approach, the researchers say. In watch-and-wait, doctors continue to monitor patients for cancer reccurrence or spread, holding off on surgery but potentially leaving them uncertain and anxious about the future.
The information MRI can provide would be both useful for doctors and comforting for patients, the new findings suggest.
Rectal cancer is typically treated at first with radiation and chemotherapy, but some patients require what is known as “total mesorectal excision” – the removal of a substantial portion of their bowel. This can be lifesaving but it can also be life-changing: Side effects can include the need for a permanent colostomy bag and sexual dysfunction.
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