Evaluation of Lateral Pelvic Nodes in Patients With Advanced Rectal Cancer

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of lateral pelvic lymph node metastasis as a predictor of local recurrence and survival in patients with advanced rectal cancer. CONCLUSION: Prediction of lateral pelvic nodal staging on MRI shows high accuracy compared with the other imaging modalities. Diffusion-weighted MRI or (18)F-FDG PET/CT may be helpful to assesses lateral pelvic lymph node metastasis.