MSCT is unsuitable for preoperative staging estimation of rectal carcinoma independently

Objective To evaluate the validity and reliability of multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) in preoperative TNM staging judgment of rectal carcinoma. Methods Three hundred and one patients with rectal carcinoma were diagnosed and treated consecutively in Colorectal and Anal Surgery Department of Shanxi Province Tumor Hospital from January 2009 to December 2009. The clinical data of these patients were analyzed retrospectively. The diagnosis results were compared between the preoperative MSCT staging and the postoperative pathological staging,the ROC curve and the diagnostic concordance test were analyzed by software Medcalc 11.2. Results The sensitivity, specificity, Kappa value, area under the curve of TNM staging were 64.7% ,96. 8% ,0. 667,0. 808 for T2 staging tumors; 93.8% ,75.0% ,0.709,0.844 for T3 staging tumors;87. 8% ,98. 1% ,0. 859,0. 929 for T4 staging tumors; 72. 0% ,91.2% ,0. 619,0. 816 for N staging tumors;92. 7%, 99. 7%, 0. 925,0. 963 for M staging tumors respectively. Conclusion The diagnostic value of independent use of MSCT in estimating the infiltration degree and lymph node metastasis of rectal cancer is very poor and cannot be used in preoperative staging judgment. Key words: Rectal carcinoma; MSCT; Validity; Reliability