Local Staging of Colon Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Analysis for Diagnostic Performance of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and by Experience.

Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging was analyzed by four radiologists regarding local tumor staging (T and N) and the presence of extramural vascular involvement. An astonishingly high sensitivity for the detection of T 3/4 tumors (κ = 0.67), with considerably lower sensitivity for T 3cd/ 4 tumors (κ = 0.51), high sensitivity for serosal involvement 76-87 % (κ = 0.65) and extramural vascular involvement (87-98 %, κ = 0.56). Sensitivity and specificity for lymph node involvement is lower (κ = 0.57). MRI with adequate experience can accurately detect tumors with invasion through the bowel wall and their prognostic factors.