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 • Rectal retroversion rate – the percentage of procedures in which the endoscope is inverted in the rectum to visualize the anorectal margin
 • Colonoscope withdrawal time – the amount of time the endos­copist takes to withdraw the colonoscopy while observing the colonic mucosa
 • Use of sedation – a safety measure of sedation dosing in dif­ferent age groups to ensure sedation is used safely
 • Number of colonoscopy procedures undertaken per annum
 • Comfort during colonoscopy – a five-point scale in which
the comfort of the patient during a consciously sedated colo­noscopy is assessed
 • Perforation rate – the rate at which a perforation occurs dur­ing a diagnostic colonoscopy
The proportions used in these metrics vary between interna­tional endoscopic regulatory bodies, however the factors mea­sured are uniform. Regular audit of these metrics allows identification of individual endoscopists who may require additional targeted training and allows minimization of risk to patients attending for colonoscopy.
Premalignant Lesions of the Colon Mucosa
There are several main types of lesions that can develop in the colon, each with its own characteristic endoscopic appearance and differing risks of malignant progression.
the crypts are star-shaped on cross-section. Hyperplastic polyps are often found in the sigmoid colon and rectum and are thought to have no malignant potential. Hyperplastic polyps are quite common, with a prevalence around 20% (Hazewinkel etal. 2014; Kim etal. 2014).
Sessile Serrated Lesions
Similar to a hyperplastic polyp, a sessile serrated lesion also has serrated crypts, but in contrast to the hyperplastic polyp a ses­sile serrated lesion also has architectural disturbances at the crypt base. On histological examination the crypt base is wid­ened with a basal horizontal extension, giving the appearance of a L or inverted T-shaped crypt base.
Endoscopically, sessile serrated lesions can be found throughout the colon but especially in the right side of the colon and often present as flat or slightly elevated pale lesions that are easily missed. Sessile serrated lesions do carry a risk of malignant pro­gression and it is estimated that at least 10% of all sporadic colon cancers derive from sessile serrated lesions (García-Solano etal. 2010; Mäkinen etal. 2001). The molecular sequence of malignant progression is distinct from the adenoma-carcinoma sequence and involves mutations in KRAS and BRAF and widespread CpG island methylation and microsatellite instability. The prevalence of sessile serrated lesions is around 5% (Hazewinkel etal. 2014; Kim etal. 2014).
Traditional Serrated Adenoma
Adenomas
An adenoma is a focal lesion defined by the presence of a degree of dysplasia (at least low-grade dysplasia). Adenomas are a well-recognized precursor lesion of colorectal cancer though the adenoma–carcinoma pathway that is driven by mutations in the APC, KRAS, and TP53 genes and dysregula­tion of the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling pathway. As the adenoma acquires progressive mutations, this leads to increased proliferation and eventually invasive malig­nancy (Fearon and Vogelstein 1990; Smit etal. 2020). Adenomas can present in many different shapes, including flat, sessile and pedunculated. The risk of malignancy is increased with increasing size, an ulcerated depression in part of the lesion and a disorganized or absent vascular pattern seen on either white light or with enhanced endoscopic imaging techniques. The incidence of adenoma increases with age. It is estimated to be around 20–30% in large cohorts of asymptomatic patient undergoing colonoscopy (Ferlitsch etal. 2011; Kim etal. 2014).
Hyperplastic Polyps
Hyperplastic polyps are bland and usually diminutive lesions. In contrast to an adenoma a hyperplastic polyp never contains any degree of dysplasia. Histologically the luminal side of the hyperplastic crypts has a serrated (saw-tooth) appearance and
Traditional serrated adenomas are characterized by the presence of serrated crypts, prominent eosinophilic cytoplasm and ectopic crypts. Traditional serrated adenomas are most often found in the sigmoid colon and rectum and endoscopi­cally present as pedunculated or sessile lesions. They are often KRAS and BRAF mutated but, unlike sessile serrated lesions, often lack microsatellite instability. Traditional serrated ade­nomas are rare with a prevalence of less than 1% (Hazewinkel etal. 2014; Kim etal. 2014) Dysplasia has been described in traditional serrated adenomas (Kim etal. 2010) but the risk of malignant progression is currently unclear, possibly reflecting their low incidence.
Classication Systems
Multiple classification systems for premalignant colonic lesions have been developed. They allow for a standardized description of lesions encountered and also provide information on the malignant potential and the risk of deep invasion.
Paris Classification
The Paris system is used to classify superficial lesions of the gastrointestinal tract based on their shape (Participants in the Paris Workshop 2003). Lesions are best observed using white light. Somewhat confusing, all lesions in the Paris classification
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are type 0 lesions; this is because the Paris classification was an extension of a previous classification for advanced gastric can­cers (the Borrmann classification, that grades lesions from type 1 to type 4). The type 0 classification was added to describe superficial lesions and has the following subdivisions:
 • Type 0-I (polypoid lesions) which includes the subtype 0-Ip
for pedunculated and 0-Is for sessile lesions.
 • Type 0-II (non-polypoid) which included the subtype 0-IIa for slightly elevated, 0-IIb for flat and-IIc for slightly depressed lesions.
 • Type 0-III that described excavated lesions with an ulcerative appearance and suggests submucosal invasion.
Some lesions are best described by a combination of Paris classifications; for example, a slightly elevated lesion with a central depression can be describes as type 0-IIa+IIc.
The Paris classification can be used to estimate submucosal invasion, the change of which is increased in type 0-IIc and in particular in type 0-III lesions.
NICE Classification
The NBI International Colorectal Endoscopic (NICE) classification system uses NBI to classify lesions (Hewett etal.
2012). It looks at the color of the lesion, vessels and surface pattern to classify lesions in one of three categories:
 • Type 1: color same or lighter than background, none or iso­lated lacy vessels, and a surface pattern of uniform white or dark spots suggests a hyperplastic lesion
 • Type 2: color darker than background, brown vessels sur­rounding white structures and a surface pattern of oval, tubular or branched white structures suggests an adenoma
 • Type 3: color darker than background with sometimes patchy white areas, disorganized or missing vessels, and an amorphous or absent surface pattern suggests a submucosal invasion.
While the Paris and NICE classification are the most com­monly used in the western world, there are a number of other classification system that use NBI imaging that look at microves­sel pattern (SANO, Jikei), surface pattern (Showa) or a combination of both (Hiroshima, JNET). These classification sys­tems were all developed in Japan and are commonly used in Asia.
WASP Classification
Most classification systems do not allow differentiation bet­ween hyperplastic polyps and sessile serrated lesions. The increasing recognition that these two lesions are biologically distinct entities led to the development of the Workgroup ser­rAted polypS and Polyposis (WASP) classification (Jeg etal.
2016). It identifies four characteristics to identify sessile ser­rated polyps under narrow band imaging: a clouded surface,
indistinct border, irregular shape and dark spots inside crypts. The presence of at least two criteria is sufficient to label a lesion a sessile serrated polyp.
Resection of Colorectal Lesions
Endoscopic resection of colorectal lesions provides a spectrum of complexity from simple snare resection of small lesions through to complex resection techniques allowing very large premalignant lesions to be removed. Advanced resection tech­niques are a subspecialty within the field of endoscopy and referral to an appropriately trained endoscopist is essential in providing the best outcome in terms of complete resection and reduced risk of complications. It is currently practice to remove the vast majority of any detected polypoid lesion of the colon at colonoscopy, and as the most commonly found are small lesions all colonoscopists are trained to undertake resection of these.
Snare Polypectomy
The majority of colorectal polyps can be resected at the index colonoscopy using snare polypectomy. A wire loop is placed over the lesion and closed around it. The lesion is then either removed using a cold snare technique in which the wire of the snare is designed to cut through mucosal tissue or using an electrosurgical diathermy machine to provide coagulation of any vasculature supplying the lesion – known as a “hot snare”. Typically, a small sessile lesion less than 6 mm in size (Paris Classification 0-Is or 0-IIa, b or c) will be removed with a cold snare technique while pedunculated lesions using a hot snare.
Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR)
EMR was first described in 1973 using a hypertonic saline solu­tion to provide separation of the mucosal and muscularis tissue planes to allow dissection of a lesion (Deyhle etal. 1973). The technique is now a standard practice for colonoscopists to ensure safe resection of sessile lesions greater than 1 cm in size.
The technique involves a needle injector device through the working channel of the colonoscope to lift the lesion away from the muscularis. The injected solution can vary, but is usually a combination of adrenaline, colloid and a blue stain such as methylene blue or indigocarmine dye. This solution tempo­rarily colors the underlying muscularis blue to allow the endos­copist to visualize that the resection margin is adequate and that the wall of the colon is intact. Lifting the lesion to be resected away from the underlying muscle using the injected solution reduces the risk of perforation.
Once a lesion is adequately lifted, a snare device is placed around the lesion and combined electrosurgical current of coagulation and cutting is used to remove it. Larger lesions are removed piecemeal, with sections removed piece by piece until
the resection is completed. For the resection of flat colorectal
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lesions, the utilization of cold snare EMR appears to be as effec­tive as using electrosurgical snaring at complete resection, while reducing the risk of perforation and having similar risk of bleeding. Figure 1 demonstrates a large laterally spreading tumor of the ascending colon, lifted and removed with EMR.
Following EMR a number of techniques have been examined in the literature including coagulation of the margin with either argon plasma coagulation or using diathermy application via the tip of a snare (Katsinelos et al. 2019; Kemper etal. 2021; Motchum etal. 2022). It is not definitively clear whether these techniques provide any advantage over endoscopically assess­ing complete resection combined with snare resection of remaining margins of adenoma.
The risks of EMR are bleeding, perforation and incomplete resection. The risk of bleeding is around 3% and depends on lesion size, patient comorbidity and use of anticoagulation (De Ceglie et al. 2016; Ferlitsch et al. 2017). Perforation risk is around 1% (De Ceglie etal. 2016; Heldwein etal. 2005). The risk of incomplete resection increases with lesion size and use of piecemeal resection.
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Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD)
ESD allows the “en-bloc” resection of lesions. The technique requires advanced training and is carried out in a limited number of centers internationally. The lesion is lifted in a sim­ilar manner to an EMR, however rather than utilizing snare resection, a specially designed electrosurgical knife is used to dissect between the lesion and submucosal plane. The lesion is then removed as a single surgical sample. The technique has a slightly higher bleeding risk (1–2%) and increased perforation risk (5–8%) compared with EMR (De Ceglie etal. 2016; Hong etal. 2016; Lee etal. 2013; Okamoto etal. 2017) but for large lesions the risk of recurrence is lower. The procedure also takes significantly longer to perform than an EMR.
EMR and ESD techniques complement each other, however limitations in the number of centers providing ESD is currently prohibitive in offering it to all patients.
Full Thickness Resection (FTR)
The endoscopic FTR technique is relatively new technology, emerging in 2014. This allows a lesion to be resected by removing the entire thickness of the colon or rectum. The lesion is marked around the margin using a diathermy marker and is then pulled into a cap which has a clip and a snare fitted to it. The clip is then deployed and the snare cuts through the tissue pulled into the cap. This technique has evidence emerg­ing that it can be utilised in the removal of early T1 colorectal cancers and for the completion of polypectomy in which scar­ring following EMR or ESD means that these techniques are unable to provide endoscopic resection of remnant adenoma­tous tissue.
Figure 1 (A) Laterally spreading tumor of the ascending colon. (B) Lifting solution applied. (C) Resection site of the lesion with muscle stained blue.
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Endoscopic Stenting of Colorectal Lesions
The rate of large bowel obstruction due to colon cancer is esti­mated to be around 8% – 13% of all patients with colorectal cancer (Cheynel etal. 2007; Jullumstrø etal. 2011; Winner etal.
2013). Historically, emergency surgical interventions (resec­tion or the creation of a decompression stoma) have been the standard approach for patients with a malignant obstruction of the colon. However, in the last decades endoscopic stenting has emerged as an alternative to emergency surgery.
A colonic stent is a self-expanding nickel-titanium alloy cylinder that may be covered with a plastic outer layer or be bare metal (often termed covered and uncovered metal stents). The malignant stricture is approached with the colonoscope and guidewire is passed through it followed by a catheter, using radiological screening. An injection of contrast proximal to the stricture confirms the guidewire is correctly located and the stent is then placed across the guidewire and deployed. The main risk of colorectal stent placement is perforation of the malignant lesion, however there is no difference in mortality for patients presenting with obstruction managed surgically or with endoscopic stenting (Veld etal. 2020). Figure 2 demon­strates a colorectal stent after endoscopic placement.
Endoscopic Surveillance of Benign and Malignant Colorectal Pathology
The surveillance of colorectal lesions will vary internationally, however the principles are the same throughout. Patients present­ing with benign colorectal lesions such as adenomas and sessile serrated lesions can be risk stratified based on the number and size of the lesions detected at the index colonoscopy. Following
this stratification, a surveillance pathway is followed to ensure risk reduction for developing colorectal cancer in the future.
In the United Kingdom, the stratification is based on the index colonoscopy being of high quality, and a repeat colonoscopy is recommended in the case of either poor bowel preparation or incomplete colonoscopy. Provided the index colonoscopy is completed to a satisfactory standard the stratification is made into high risk or low risk. Low risk patients are not offered any surveillance colonoscopy, however the guidance does allow for clinical judgement to be applied to younger patients falling into a low risk category. High risk patients are those with either 5 or more adenomas or 2 or more adenomas where 1 is greater than 10
mm in size. The high risk group are offered a colonos­copy in 3 years and the risk stratification is applied again at this appointment (Rutter etal. 2020).
If at the index colonoscopy a large lesion requiring advanced resection such as EMR or ESD is detected, then after resection a site check is performed between 2 and 6 months following resection. After this, a one-year surveillance colonoscopy and then a three-year surveillance colonoscopy are performed. At the three-year surveillance colonoscopy the risk stratification is applied again. For patients with colorectal cancer a surveillance is offered at 1 year and then 3 years, unless there was an impass­able cancer in which case colonoscopy is offered as soon as is considered safe (usually around 3 months) following surgical resection.
Conclusion
Endoscopic techniques for the detection, assessment and resec­tion of colorectal neoplastic pathology have developed over the past 30 years to allow non-surgical management of such lesions. This has allowed reductions in the risk to patients in treating
Figure 2 Endoscopically inserted self-expanding stent.
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these lesions by moving them from surgical treatment path­ways into endoscopic treatment.
Key Points of Current Management
1 Colonoscopy is the gold standard in the diagnosis of colo­rectal neoplastic pathology.
2
Quality in colonoscopy is the single most important factor
in ensuring that colorectal cancers are detected at the index procedure.
Endoscopic imaging technology has improved with enhanced
3
resolution, image manipulation and artificial intelligence to help the endoscopist in making a diagnosis.
4
Endoscopic resection techniques now provide safe and effec-
tive management of large colorectal benign lesions and often allow patients to avoid surgical resections.
Endoscopic stenting of colorectal lesions is a potential treatment
5
option in patients presenting with large bowel obstruction due to colorectal cancer.
Areas for Further Research
1 How will artificial intelligence in colonoscopy assist endos­copists in the reduction of post colonoscopy colorectal cancer?
2
What techniques at the time of EMR will reduce the risk of
adenoma recurrence? 3 For circumferential colorectal lesions not suitable for sur­gical intervention, what is the best timing for placement of a colorectal stent?
Trusted Links for Further Reading
Key performance indicators for colonoscopy: Rees CJ, Thomas
Gibson S, Rutter MD, Baragwanath P, Pullan R, Feeney M, e.a. UK key performance indicators and quality assurance stan­dards for colonoscopy. Gut. Dec 2016;65(12):1923–9. https:// www.bsg.org.uk/clinical-resource/uk-key-performance-indi­cators-and-quality-assurance-standards-for-colonoscopy
How to Manage Large Colorectal Polyps EMR vs. ESD.
UEGWeek2012_Syllabus_121002.indd
Crockett SD, Nagtegaal ID. Terminology, Molecular Features,
Epidemiology, and Management of Serrated Colorectal Neoplasia. Gastroenterology. Oct 2019;157(4):949–966.e4. https://www.gas­trojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(19)41115–3/fulltext
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Imaging and Staging of Colorectal Cancer
Jeremy Meyer, David Bowden & Justin Davies
Introduction
The treatment of colorectal cancer is almost invariably surgical, involving the removal of the primary lesion and, if possible and indicated, the removal of metastatic (secondary) lesions. The only exception to this paradigm is represented by patients for whom a “watch and wait” strategy has been adopted after complete clinical response following neoadjuvant treatment for rectal cancer. The prognosis of colorectal cancer has improved over the last decades, notably following the introduction of total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer and of neo­adjuvant treatment for preoperative downstaging rectal cancer. The indication for neoadjuvant treatment is historically based on the stage of the tumor and its relation to adjacent anatomical structures, adequate pre-operative staging by modern imaging techniques being key for optimal surgical and oncological planning. However, more recent guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom recommend neoadjuvant treatment for all patients with rectal cancer (NIfHaCE 2020), although this has been met with some challenge (Davies etal. 2022). Further, identifying patients with locally advanced cancer who will require multi­disciplinary surgical input, or those with metastatic disease, is mostly the remit of expert gastrointestinal radiologists working within multidisciplinary teams.
The objectives of imaging for colorectal cancer are therefore multiple. The first objective of imaging is to identify and stage the primary lesion, in terms of local extension but also in terms of potentially metastatic lymph nodes, in order to assess surgical resectability and to decide on the surgical procedure required and the possible need for multivisceral or en bloc resection to achieve clear resection margins. In patients with rectal cancer, resectability can be reassessed after neo-adjuvant treatment. The second objective is to check for the presence of potentially distant metastases, either in central lymph nodes not accessible to conventional surgery, in other organs or in the peritoneal cavity. Finally, the third objective is to rule out the presence of a synchronous lesion in the gastrointestinal tract, especially in patients with a genetic predisposition to colorectal cancer.
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Colon Cancer
Recommended Imaging
The minimum required imaging for colon cancer consists of a CT of the abdomen and pelvis to characterize the primary cancer and its relation to anatomical structures (cT stage), the eventual presence of enlarged lymph nodes (cN stage) and the eventual presence of distant metastases (cM stage), associated with a CT of the chest to look for lung metastases. The liver, an organ at risk for colorectal cancer metastases due to its filtering function of the portal blood flow, is assessed by the abdominal CT with, in case of doubt, a dedicated Primovist contrast liver MRI. The presence of a synchronous cancer in the colon is assessed using a complete colonoscopy in an adequately prepared patient or, if colonoscopy cannot be performed, a CT colonography. In case the recommended imaging cannot be performed before the removal of the primary lesion, which can be the case – for example – in a patient with an obstructing sigmoid cancer, the examinations to rule out metastatic disease and synchronous cancer should be performed when the clinical situation allows, but ideally within three months (Argiles etal. 2020).
Classication System
The classification of the primary cancer and its eventual secondary lesions relies on the latest version of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) TNM system (Table 1). However, as this classification is – in the context of preopera­tive imaging – provisional, it is usually preceded by a “c” (meaning “clinical”). For instance, if lymph nodes are enlarged
on the preoperative CT, the provisional stage will indicate cN+ (or cN1 or cN2), but only the definitive histopathological anal­ysis of the operative specimen will indicate if these lymph nodes contain metastatic cells (pN+) or not (pN0).
Assessing the Primary Lesion (T)
The gold standard for assessing the primary colon cancer lesion and its local extension is a CT of the abdomen and pelvis. The classical features of colorectal cancer on CT are usually either as a soft tissue mass or bowel wall thickening that may be associ­ated with luminal narrowing (“apple core” appearance). The mass will typically enhance in a similar fashion to the bowel wall, though large lesions may undergo central necrosis. Texture analysis may help differentiating benign thickening of the bowel wall from colorectal cancer (Wang etal. 2020). Up to 41% of patients suffering from colorectal cancer are first diag­nosed in the emergency setting (Bass etal. 2009). Therefore, large bowel obstruction or lower gastrointestinal bleeding should raise the suspicion of cancer, which should be investi­gated by colonoscopy.
If the colorectal cancer can be visualized by CT, this helps in defining its location, which is often less accurate when assessed by colonoscopy. The gold standard for localizing the tumor remains, however, surgical exploration and visualizing the distal tattoos placed by the endoscopist.
CT has moderate reliability for defining the T stage, which is correctly predicted in only 60% of patients (Smith etal. 2007) (Figure 1). The diagnostic accuracy of CT is lowest for early colorectal cancer, for which endoscopic ultrasound is better, although the clinical significance of accurately staging early
Table 1 TNM classification of colon and rectal cancer, adapted from the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual (8th Edition).
T stage T1 Invasion of the submucosa by the primary tumor
T2 Invasion of the muscularis propria by the primary tumor T3 Invasion of the subserosa by the primary tumor T4 Invasion of other organs/structures and/or the visceral peritoneum by the primary tumor
T4a Invasion of the visceral peritoneum by the primary tumor T4b Invasion of nearby organs by the primary tumor
N stage N0 No metastasis in regional lymph nodes
N1 1–3 metastatic regional lymph node(s)
N1a 1 metastatic regional lymph node N1b 2–3 metastatic regional lymph nodes N1c No metastasis in regional lymph nodes but satellite cancer cells in the non-peritonealized tissues near the tumor
N2 >3 metastatic regional lymph nodes
N2a 4–6 metastatic regional lymph nodes N2b >6 metastatic regional lymph nodes
M stage M0 No distant metastasis
M1 Distant metastasis(es)
M1a 1 distant metastasis M1b >1 distant metastasis M1c Metastasis to the peritoneum (peritoneal carcinomatosis) with or without other organ(s)
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Figure 1 Axial (A) and coronal multiplanar reformat (MPR, (B)) image of a T2/3 sigmoid tumor (arrow). Resolution of CT is inadequate to reliably differentiate early stages of colorectal tumors given its inability to resolve bowel wall layers and differentiate T2 from T3 disease. Identification of T4a from T3 disease may also be challenging in the presence of benign desmoplastic change (not shown).
Figure 2 (A) Coronal multiplanar reformatted images of an apple core lesion of the hepatic flexure in a patient with colonic pseudo-obstruction. (B) Endoluminal virtual colonoscopic image of the tumor, generated from the same image data made possible by surrounding gaseous distension of the bowel.
colonic cancer by CT is of limited importance. CT is better for more advanced T stages. For instance, the sensitivity and spec­ificity of CT to detect tumor invasion beyond the muscular propria are 86% and 78% respectively (Dighe etal. 2010). Of note, the presence of colon wall deformity, notably an apple
core appearance, is highly predictive of stage T3 disease or higher (Flor etal. 2013) (Figure 2).
Distinguishing T3 from T4 disease is sometimes not pos­sible, as identifying early progression into the peritoneum cannot be reliably made by CT. The involvement of other
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Figure 3 (A, C) Axial CT and (B, D) Axial T2-weighted MR image at corresponding levels of a large T4b sigmoid tumor (asterisk) involving the left common iliac artery (open arrow), transversalis fascia (dashed arrow) and adjacent small bowel loops (solid white arrows). Given the superior resolution of MRI its use is invaluable where there may be uncertainty regarding early adjacent organ invasion.
organs by direct tumor invasion is usually suggested by loss of the fat plane accompanied by spicular projections or more obvious invasion. Identification of T4 disease is of importance, as it may change the therapeutic management, both in terms of potential neo-adjuvant treatment (Body et al. 2021) and in terms of surgical strategy (Figure 3). It should be mentioned that CT has moderate sensitivity for assessing involvement of the retroperitoneal surgical margin (Elibol etal. 2016).
Preoperative CT with arterial and portal venous phase imaging also aids in the surgical planning where precise knowledge of the vascular anatomy and its variations (Alsabilah et al. 2017; Kuzu et al. 2017) is of importance, such as, for example, in patients who may be considered for complete mesocolic excision during which significant vascular complica­tions are a risk.
for colorectal cancer numbers lymph node stations according to their anatomical locations (Japanese Society for Cancer of the C, Rectum 2019). The lymph node drainage of colorectal cancer follows the vascular axis feeding the tumor, and there­fore potential metastatic lymph nodes should be expected along these axes. In right colon cancer, metastatic lymph nodes are found in 41.5% of patients. D2 lymph nodes contain meta­static deposits in 9.7% of patients, and D3 lymph nodes in 1.5% (Yamaoka et al. 2017). The presence of one or more meta­static lymph node(s) in colon cancer defines stage III disease. Retroperitoneal, pelvic or inguinal lymph node enlargement represent metastatic disease in patients with colon cancer.
CT has moderate accuracy for defining the N stage, which is correctly predicted in only 62% of patients (Smith etal. 2007). The sensitivity and specificity of CT for identifying metastatic lymph nodes in colorectal cancer are 70% and 78% respectively
Assessing Lymph Nodes (N)
The lymph node distribution of the colon is classified into the pericolic lymph nodes (D1), the intermediate lymph nodes (D2) and the central lymph nodes (D3). The Japanese classification
(Dighe etal. 2010). Of note, pathologically enlarged nodes may not contain metastatic cells and smaller nodes may have micro­scopic tumor involvement. Stage III disease is best predicted by the presence of one or more lymph node(s) with a heteroge­neous density and/or an irregular outer border (Figure 4).
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Figure 4 Axial CT image (A) and coronal MPR (b) of a large T4a caecal tumor (asterisk) with an adjacent irregular, heterogeneous attenuation and enlarged mesocolic lymph node (arrow). The combination of these imaging features is consistent with metastatic lymph node involvement.
Figure 5 Axial CT Colonoscopy study image (A) of a 3 cm polypoid mass within the ascending colon (arrow). Insufflation of the colon with carbon dioxide distends the bowel wall, enabling identification of small polyps and the generation of virtual endoscopic, volume rendered images (B). The corresponding optical endoscopic image (C) correlates well with that generated by CT. High density material within the bowel lumen in (A) represents iodine-based oral contrast medium administered as part of bowel preparation – both to achieve a laxative effect and for “tagging” of any residual fecal material, improving the detection of small polyps.
Excluding Synchronous Lesions
Synchronous colorectal cancer refers to more than one pri­mary colorectal cancer diagnosed in the same patient at the time of initial presentation. The prevalence of synchronous colorectal cancer is close to 4% of patients (Latournerie etal. 2008; Mulder etal. 2011). This prevalence is of course higher
in patients with hereditary colorectal cancer, such as heredi­tary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), familial ade­nomatous polyposis (FAP), MUTYH-associated polyposis (MAP) and others, and in those with chronic inflammation secondary to inflammatory bowel disease. Excluding synchronous lesions in the lower gastrointestinal tract