The Role of MRI in the Assessment of the Local Status of Anal Carcinomas and in Their Management

This study aims to define the role of Magnetic Resonance (MR) examinations in the assessment and therapy of anal cancer (AC), and to present the main features of the MR examinations and the typical tumor spread pattern. The MR examinations of 67 anal cancer patients with histologically confirmed planocellular cancer were analyzed retrospectively. The tumor size and the signal intensity, the nodal status were examined before and after the treatment, and in recidive tumors (N = 13). At the time of the diagnosis the primary tumor was in early stage (Tis, T1, T2) in 71.5 % of the cases, and it was localized in 97 %. In 97.4 % of the cases the tumor had relatively increased signal intensities compared to the adjacent muscles. Patients received chemo-radiotherapy (CRT). After CRT in 26 out of 39 patients (66.7 %) the size of the tumor decreased (in 75 %), and the signal intensity decreased on the T2 weighted (T2w) images. In the residual tumor cases (19/39) verified 6 patients out of 19 had further decrease in size, and signal intensity a year after the end of the therapy. The MR examination plays a key role in the therapy of AC, by assessing the precise local status, the possible recidive tumors, and monitoring the therapy.