Endoscopic localization of distal colorectal cancers may be unreliable

A retrospective cohort analysis of 212 patients revealed significant discrepancies in the endoscopic localization of distal colorectal tumors. Of those diagnosed with distal sigmoid tumors, 30.7% were found to have rectal cancer during surgery, despite prior endoscopic assessments. Additionally, 25.1% of lesions were invisible on CT scans, highlighting the limitations of imaging modalities. The findings suggest that pre-operative MRI could enhance staging accuracy and improve peri-operative planning, particularly for non-visible lesions.