Table 3. Established MRI-based prognostic features of rectal tumors on locoregional staging.

Higher risk of distant metastatic disease38:  • EMD > 5 mm  • T4 status  • Extramural vascular invasion  • CRM < 1 mm

Higher risk of local recurrence and lower overall survival at 5 y35:  • CRM < 1 mm

Lower probability of responding favorably to neoadjuvant therapy37:  • EMD > 5 mm  • Evidence of nodal involvement

Low risk of local recurrence after surgery without neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapies42:  • CRM > 1 mm  • EMD < 5 mm

Low recurrence rates and high DFS and OS rates without neoadjuvant therapy41:  • CRM > 2 mm  • No evidence of nodal involvement

Abbreviations: CRM, circumferential resection margin; DFS, disease-free survival; EMD, extramural depth; OS, overall survival.