Determination of the Accuracy of Computed Tomography in Staging Primary Rectal Carcinoma and Lymph Node Spread Post Chemoradiation Therapy

MDCT is a reliable modality for staging rectal cancer, particularly for advanced stages (T3-T4), demonstrating high accuracy in assessing tumor extent, nodal involvement, and distant metastases. Its sensitivity for early-stage lesions remains lower than that of MRI, highlighting the complementary role of multimodal imaging in preoperative evaluation.