What to do if colon cancer metastasizes to the lungs

The treatment of lung metastasis from colon cancer should be based on comprehensive considerations such as the patient's own immune tolerance and the site of colon cancer metastasis. Generally, if 1-3 metastatic nodules appear in the lungs from colon cancer, palliative surgery to remove the lung metastatic nodules after radical resection of colon cancer can be performed if the patient is in good physical condition.

In the late stage of colon cancer, metastasis symptoms may occur as the disease progresses. The lungs are the most common site of metastasis. At this time, the patient is in great pain and generally cannot undergo surgical treatment. The only treatment method is chemotherapy combined with Chinese medicine. In the late stage of colon cancer, there are symptoms such as low fever and edema. After metastasis, there are symptoms such as lung pain and cough. Generally, you can take the Chinese medicine Xianxing (Rh2) Life-Protecting Element to prevent metastasis and improve the patient's quality of life.

The characteristics of lung metastasis of colon cancer are generally circular infiltration along the horizontal axis of the intestine and development into the deep layer of the intestinal wall. It spreads slowly up and down along the vertical axis, and the involved intestinal segment is generally no more than 10 cm. After the cancer invades the serosa, it often adheres to the surrounding tissues, adjacent organs and peritoneum.

Lymph node metastasis of colon cancer generally spreads from near to far in the following order, but there is also non-sequential cross-metastasis.

(1) Colonic lymph nodes are located in the fat vertebrae of the intestinal wall.

(2) Paracolic lymph nodes are located in the mesentery adjacent to the colon wall.

(3) Mesenteric vascular lymph nodes are located next to the blood vessels in the middle of the colon mesentery and are also called the intermediate lymph node group.

(4) Mesenteric root lymph nodes are located at the root of the colon mesentery.

The chance of lymph node metastasis increases when the tumor invades the muscular layer of the intestinal wall. If the subserosal lymphatic vessels are invaded, the chance of lymph node metastasis is even greater.

In hematogenous metastasis, cancer cells or cancer emboli usually travel along the portal vein system to the liver first, and then to other tissues and organs such as the lungs, brain, and bones. Hematogenous metastasis usually occurs when the tumor invades the capillaries and small veins, but it can also be caused by pressing the tumor mass during a physical examination, squeezing the tumor during surgery for lung metastasis of colon cancer, or even strong peristalsis during obstruction, which can cause cancer cells to enter the bloodstream.

Invasion and implantation Colon cancer lung metastasis can directly infiltrate surrounding tissues and organs. Cancer cells can fall off in the intestinal cavity and implant on other mucosa. Cancer cells can fall off in the abdominal cavity and implant on the peritoneum. The metastatic lesions are nodular or millet-shaped, white or grayish white, and hard. If they spread throughout the abdominal cavity, they can cause cancerous peritonitis and ascites.