An evaluation of the role of rectal endosonography in rectal cancer.

The applications of rectal endosonography (ES) in the preoperative staging and follow-up of patients with rectal cancer have been investigated. Endosonography is an accurate method of staging local invasion (93%) preoperatively and is superior to digital examination (58%) and computed tomography (CT) (74%). In addition, ES can predict mesorectal lymph node involvement with an accuracy of 83% which compares favourably with CT (57%). Extrarectal, locally recurrent cancer can be detected using ES and established recurrence assessed more objectively.