Endoluminal ultrasound in the assessment of local invasion in rectal cancer.

A new method for staging local invasion in rectal cancer has been assessed. Thirty-eight patients with primary rectal cancers have been examined pre-operatively with endoluminal rectal ultrasound and results compared with histological analysis of resected specimens in 33 cases. Three patients who also underwent laparotomy but not resection had good evidence of both stage T3 (1) and T4 (2) disease. The coefficient of correlation between ultrasonic and histological staging was 0.93 (P less than 0.001). Invasion beyond the muscularis propria was predicted with a sensitivity of 96 per cent, specificity of 92 per cent and a predictive value of 96 per cent.