Application of Amide Proton Transfer-Weighted Imaging in Predicting Pathological Complete Response After Neoadjuvant Therapy of Rectal Cancer

This study is exploring whether a specialized type of MRI scan called APT-weighted imaging can predict how well rectal cancer responds to treatment given before surgery (called neoadjuvant therapy). A complete response means the tumor fully disappears, which can allow some patients to avoid surgery. This study wants to see if the MRI can predict this outcome. **You may be eligible if...** - You have locally advanced rectal cancer (confirmed by biopsy as adenocarcinoma) - You received chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy before surgery - You underwent surgery to remove the tumor and had tissue examined afterward - You gave informed consent **You may NOT be eligible if...** - Your MRI images were of poor quality (e.g., due to excessive motion artifacts) - You had bowel obstruction or perforation requiring emergency surgery - More than 2 weeks passed between your pre-surgery MRI and your operation - You had prior treatment for rectal cancer - You have another type of cancer - You cannot have an MRI (e.g., have a pacemaker or metal implant) Talk to your doctor to see if this trial is right for you.