Abstract: The incidence of rectal cancer has been increasing in China, which lays much pressure on doctors for more accurate diagnosis and treatment. Nodal involvement in rectal cancer is a poor prognostic factor for local and distant recurrence and is generally considered as an important indication for neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy before surgery or radiotherapy after surgery in patients. A positive nodal status will therefore influence the outcome of treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) is now being widely used in TNM staging of rectal cancer; however conventional imaging methods are not satisfactory in the assessment of nodal status. This is a review on the utilization of MR diffusion-weighted imaging in the evaluation of nodal status in rectal cancer.