Endorectal Ultrasound

Overview :

ERUS has been used as a means to determine the depth of rectal cancers and to assess whether the tumor has affected surrounding tissues. This pre-treatment procedure has proven to be an accurate tool for tailoring surgery for patients.

Problems with interpretation of the sonograms after radiation and before surgery have resulted in tumors being identified that were merely the formation of fibrous tissues that remained after the tumors had been eliminated by the radiation. Yet, some of the fibrous areas actually hid residual tumors. Rectal anatomy itself can affect the accuracy of ultrasound reading. This makes ERUS problematic in determining the amount of tumor reduction a patient has after radiation therapy.