The value of magnetic resonance imaging to diagnose pathological complete response of rectal cancer after therapy: A protocol for meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Although the trends of colorectal incidence rate and mortality have decreased during the past 20 years, however, they are still high. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is recommended as the standard treatment strategy of local advanced rectal cancer followed by surgery and adjuvant therapy. Predicting pathological complete response (pCR) accurately is relative to the next treatment strategy to avoid extensive therapy. And there are more and more physicians who would like to choose pelvic MRI imaging to evaluate the state of rectal cancer. Therefore, our analysis will aim to assess the value of MRI to predict pCR of rectal cancer after therapy and distinguish which sequence and magnetic strength is the best one to diagnose pCR. METHODS: Comprehensive computer-based search will be performed using the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and CBM database (last updated in April 2018), 2 reviewers will extract the related information respectively. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and the area under the hierarchical summary receiver-operating characteristic curves will be calculated to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of different sequences and intensities of magnetic resonance imaging. Methodological quality will be assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool. RESULTS: The results of this analysis will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. CONCLUSION: The ability of different MRI sequences and magnetic intensities to identify pCR will be evaluated and the best one to diagnose pCR of rectal cancer after therapy will be recommended. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval and patient consent are not required, as this study is a meta-analysis based on published studies. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018105672.