Computed tomography in assessment of locally advanced colon cancer

The data on 57 patients with colon adenocarcinomas were presented. The patients were examined with CT prior to surgery for detection of the extent of local tumor invasion. 40 patients underwent radical operation, and the remaining patients underwent palliative or bypass operations. CT signs of colon tumor and particularly CT signs of extracolonic tumor spread were described and analyzed with regard to localization of primary tumor relative to different segments of the colon. Analysis of the CT results and histopathological examinations showed that CT had high values of sensitivity, accuracy and prediction (97.6 %, 93.3 % and 95.3 %, respectively) in assessment of the tumor invasion depth. CT allowed the accurate diagnostics of tumor process complications (abscesses, intestional lumen stenosis, tumor invagination). CT is an effective method for accurate assessment of the extent of tumor involvement in patients with locally advanced colon cancer enabling oncologists to select the more effective treatment, to determine indications to radiation therapy and to plan the extent of surgery.