Diffusion-weighted whole‑body imaging with background body signal suppression/T2 image fusion for the diagnosis of colorectal polyp and cancer

Diffusion‑weighted whole‑body imaging with background body signal suppression/T2 image fusion (DWIBS/T2) is useful for the diagnosis of cancer as it presents a clear contrast between cancerous and non‑cancerous tissue. The present study investigated the limitations and advantages of DWIBS/T2 with regards to the diagnosis of colorectal polyp (CP) or cancer (CRC). The current study included patients diagnosed with CP or CRC following colonoscopy, who were subjected to DWIBS/T2 between July 2012 and March 2015. Patient records were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were subjected to DWIBS/T2 when they presented with abdominal cancers or inflammation. Colonoscopy was performed as part of screening, or if patients had suspected colon cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. A total of 8 male and 7 female patients were enrolled in the present study. All patients, with the exception of one who had been diagnosed with CRC following colonoscopy, had positive results and all patients diagnosed with CP following a colonoscopy, with the exception of one, had negative results on DWIBS/T2. Thus, CRC was detected by DWIBS/T2, while CP was not (P=0.0028). The diameter of CRC lesions was significantly larger than that of CP (P<0.0001) and that of lesions positive on DWIBS/T2 was significantly larger than that of negative lesions (P=0.0004). The depth of invasion tended to be greater for lesions positive on DWIBS/T2 compared with that of negative ones. This indicated that DWIBS/T2 may be suitable for the detection of CRC but not for detection of CP. The results of DWIBS/T2 may also be affected by lesion diameter and depth of invasion.