Home > Articles

CT/MRI of Nodal Metastases in Pelvic Cancer

Abstract

The accurate detection of lymph node metastases is one of the most important challenges in cancer imaging today, for the presence of nodal disease is a powerful adverse prognostic indicator. Pre-treatment detection of malignant nodes determines patient management, frequently distinguishing surgical candidates from those best suited to non-surgical therapy. However, the results of CT and MR imaging have been disappointing with poor sensitivities and specificities, low sensitivities being due to the inability to identify metastases in normal-sized nodes or those that are only minimally enlarged, and poor specificities resulting from nodal enlargement due to benign pathology. MR lymphography can demonstrate small nodal deposits, but the technique remains in the research arena, requires high-resolution thin sections to produce good image quality and is expensive. It is therefore likely to be used, at least for the foreseeable future, in highly selected patient groups. In order to give appropriate consideration to the likelihood of a prominent or enlarged lymph node harbouring a metastasis, it is incumbent on the radiologist to use all the relevant information available. This frequently requires discussion with clinicians or review of the patient’s case notes.

Author

Janet E Husband

Contact Details

Corresponding address:
Janet E Husband
Academic department of diagnostic radiology,
The Royal Marsden NHS Trust,
Sutton
Surrey
UK

Reference

ICIS Cancer Imaging Volume 2
DOI: 10.1102/1470-7330.2002.0015

Date Posted

1 September 2002

Open Access is provided for this article.

Screen PDF

Print PDF