Results of a diagnostic imaging audit in a randomised clinical trial in rectal cancer highlight the importance of careful planning and quality control

Insights into Imaging

Table 1 Number of MRI investigations fulfilling the pre-defined protocol criteria and the reasons for non- compliance in both the baseline and the preoperative settings. Numbers and percentages refer to the whole study group and to the country of each patient group

		Baseline N—%								Restaging N—%
		Total N = 668		Sweden N = 302		Netherlands N = 331		Slovenia N = 35		Total N = 623		Sweden N = 281		Netherlands N = 306		Slovenia N = 36
Fulfilling protocol criteria		304	45.5%	164	54.3%	116	35.0%	24	68.6%	328	52.6%	165	58.7%	127	41.5%	36	100%
Fulfilling original protocol		232	34.7%	119	39.4%	91	27.4%	22	62.9%	272	43.7%	143	50.9%	93	30.4%	36	100%
Fulfilling adapted protocol^a		72	10.8%	45	14.9%	25	7.6%	2	5.7%	56	9.0%	22	7.8%	34	11.1%	0	0%
Not fulfilling protocol criteria		364	54.5%	138	45.7%	215	65%	11	31.4%	295	47.4%	116	41.3%	179	58.5%	0	0%
Criteria fulfilment
Slice thickness	Fulfilling^b	430	64.4%	223	73.8%	180	54.4%	27	77.1%	461	74.0%	226	80.4%	199	65.0%	36	100%
	Not fulfilling	238	35.6%	78	26.2%	151	45.6%	8	22.9%	162	26.0%	55	19.6%	107	35.0%	0	0%
	One sequence	90	13.5%	51	16.9%	34	10.3%	5	14.3%	75	12.0%	39	13.9%	36	11.8%	NA
	≥ Two sequences	147	22.0%	28	9.3%	116	35.0%	3	8.6%	85	13.7%	16	5.7%	69	22.5%	NA
	No sequences available^c	1	0.1%	0	0.0%	1	0.3%	0	0.0%	2	0.3%	0	0.0%	2	0.7%	NA
Missing sequences	Fulfilling	502	75.1%	227	75.2%	243	73.4%	32	91.7%	455	73.0%	206	73.3%	213	69.6%	36	100%
	Not fulfilling	166	24.9%	75	24.8%	88	26.6%	3	8.6%	168	27.0%	75	26.7%	93	30.4%	0	0%
	One sequence	69	10.3%	27	8.9%	39	11.8%	3	8.6%	88	14.1%	30	10.7%	58	19.0%	NA
	≥ Two sequences	97	14.5%	48	15.9%	49	14.8%	0	0%	80	12.8%	45	16.0%	35	14.5%	NA