Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41607293›Full record

Observational studyDeutsches Arzteblatt international2026

Pretreatment MRI Versus Postoperative Pathology in Locoregional Staging of Rectal Cancer: A Germany-Wide Multicenter Re-Evaluation Study in Non-Pretreated Patients Based on the OCUM Study.

Sigmar Stelzner, Matthias Kuhn, Reinhard Ruppert, Jörg Baral, Thomas Kittner, Gina Brown, Theodor Junginger, Susanne Merkel, Stefan Fichtner-Feigl, Peter Kienle and 10 more

Abstract readMulticenter StudyComparative StudyObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Sigmar StelznerDepartment of Visceral, Transplant, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital of Leipzig, Germany
Matthias KuhnInstitute for Medical Informatics and Biometry, Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, Dresden University of Technology, Germany
Reinhard RuppertDepartment of General and Visceral Surgery and Colo-proctology, Neuperlach Hospital, Munich, Germany
Jörg BaralDepartment of General and Visceral Surgery, Karlsruhe Municipal Hospital
Thomas KittnerDepartment of Radiology, Municipal Hospital Dresden-Friedrichstadt, Teaching Hospital of Dresden University of Technology
Gina BrownGastrointestinal Imaging, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London, UK
Theodor JungingerMainz University Medical Center
Susanne MerkelDepartment of Surgery, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen
Stefan Fichtner-FeiglDepartment of General and Visceral Surgery, Freiburg University Hospital
Peter KienleDepartment of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital
Anton J KroesenDepartment of General and Visceral Surgery, Porz am Rhein Hospital, Cologne
Volker KahlkeCenter for Proctology, Kiel
Ingo RoederInstitute for Medical Informatics and Biometry, Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, Dresden University of Technology, Germany
Ines GockelClarunis—University Abdominal Center Basel, Switzerland
Lars GrenacherConradia Radiology Munich
Ulrike I AttenbergerDepartment of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Vienna Medical University, Austria
Kristina I RingeInstitute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Hannover Medical University
Andreas G SchreyerDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Brandenburg University Hospital
Markus JuchemsCenter of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Konstanz District Health Group, Germany
Johannes WesslingCenter of Radiology, Neuroradiology, and Nuclear Medicine, Clemens Hospital and Raphael Hospital, Münster, Germany

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the standard diagnostic technique for the locoregional assessment of rectal cancer. The pertinent guidelines recommend neoadjuvant therapy depending on cT and cN categories. In this experimental study, we examined the accuracy of pretreatment MRI staging.

methodsMRIs of 50 patients from the OCUM study (non-pretreated, 24 women, histologically confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma, located ≤12cm from the anal verge, stages I-III) were re-assessed by 74 radiologists affiliated with certified colorectal cancer centers. The radiologically determined Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) stages were compared with the histopathological findings, which were unknown to the radiologists. The degree of agreement between the radiologists' assessments and the histopathology was analyzed with κ

results2915 complete assessments were performed for cTcN (UICC stages); 740 cases (25.4%) were not classifiable because of cTX (0.1%) or cNX (25.3%). The UICC stage accorded with the histopathology in 979 cases (33.6%); there was overstaging in 737 cases (25.3%) and understaging in 459 (15.7%). The κ

conclusionAlthough MRI remains the standard diagnostic technique for the locoregional assessment of rectal cancer, its accuracy for T- and N-staging in rectal cancer is low, particularly with regard to the distinction of T2 from T3a/b and the assessment of lymph nodes. The assessment of MRF and EMVI is much more reliable.

Indexed as

AdenocarcinomaMagnetic Resonance ImagingRectal NeoplasmsAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasm StagingPreoperative CarePrevalenceReproducibility of ResultsSensitivity and Specificity

Identifiers

PMID41607293
PMCPMC13137995

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.