BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) has proven useful for loco-regional staging of @entity189 in specialised centres, but the investigation is not widely used. The aim of this study was to audit the introduction of TRUS performed by surgeons without previous experience with ultrasonography. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All @entity1 admitted with @entity189 in the period 1996-2002 entered this prospective, comparative study. TRUS with a stiff endorectal probe was performed preoperatively in 118 consecutive @entity1 , 91 of whom subsequently had rectal resection without preoperative radiotherapy (PRT), and seven who had rectal resection after PRT. Twenty @entity1 did not have resection. The main outcome measures was the feasibility of TRUS in staging of @entity5 , and the accuracy of T- and N-staging, comparing TRUS with the histopathological examination of resected specimens. RESULTS: TRUS was successful in 81/91 @entity1 who underwent rectal resection without PRT. The accuracy of @entity5 was 74% overall; 40% in five pT1 @entity5 , 81% in 26 pT2 @entity5 , 80% in 45 pT3 @entity5 and 25% in four pT4- @entity5 . With regard to perirectal tissue invasion, the sensitivity and specificity of TRUS was 82% and 84%, respectively, and the positive and negative predictive values were 89% and 71%, respectively. The accuracy of TRUS for N-staging was 65%. The sensitivity for detection of lymph node @entity3 was 41% and the specificity 68%. TRUS was unsuccessful in 21/118 @entity1 , in 12/98 who had rectal resection, and in 9/ 20 who did not have resection, because of @entity850 or high location of the @entity5 precluding correct placing of the probe. CONCLUSIONS: TRUS is often unsuccessful in @entity1 with advanced @entity5 , especially when the @entity5 is located in the upper rectum. The predictive values for @entity5 invasion were acceptable, but the sensitivity for detection of lymph node @entity3 was low. These results were obtained by surgeons without previous experience with ultrasonographic examinations.

Staging of XXXX with transrectal ultrasonography.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['T-staging', 'tumours', 'rectal cancer', 'perirectal tumour', 'tumour'] @entity189 :: ('MESH:D002277', 'Disease') :: ['rectal carcinoma'] @entity3 :: ('MESH:D009362', 'Disease') :: ['metastases'] @entity850 :: ('MESH:D003251', 'Disease') :: ['stenosis']
@entity189 :: (MESH:D002277,Disease) :: ['rectal carcinoma']
