What are the symptoms caused by colorectal cancer metastasis

Colorectal cancer is a general term for colon cancer and rectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is a malignant tumor originating from the mucosal epithelium of the large intestine and is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive tract. According to experts, during the treatment of colorectal cancer, metastasis is very likely to occur. So how does colorectal cancer metastasize? What are the symptoms caused by colorectal cancer metastasis?

Experts believe that colorectal cancer metastasis can take the form of infiltration and dissemination, the most common of which include local infiltration, hematogenous dissemination, lymphatic metastasis, etc. The clinical manifestations caused by these metastatic tumor invasion and metastasis are mainly as follows:

(1) Clinical symptoms of lymph node metastasis

Cancer treatment experts said that left supraclavicular lymph node metastasis is a late manifestation of colorectal cancer. When lymph nodes around iliac vessels metastasize in colorectal cancer, lymph can flow back to the groin and metastasis of inguinal lymph nodes occurs, which is also a late manifestation. However, when inguinal lymph node metastasis occurs in anal canal cancer, inguinal lymph node removal can still be performed if the lesion is localized, and radical cure is possible. When retroperitoneal lymph nodes metastasize extensively and enlarged lymph node masses compress the inferior vena cava and iliac veins, edema of the lower limbs on both sides or one side, edema of the scrotum or labia, etc. may occur.

(2) Symptoms caused by hematogenous dissemination

Hematogenous metastasis is common in colorectal cancer, and different symptoms and signs may occur depending on the site of hematogenous metastasis. The liver is the most common site of hematogenous metastasis. Literature reports that 8% to 25% of patients have liver metastasis when diagnosed, and 20% to 30% of patients who have undergone colorectal cancer surgery have liver metastasis during follow-up. In addition, the lungs, bones, ovaries, and brain are also sites where metastasis is prone to occur. Occasionally, colorectal cancer patients do not have obvious symptoms of the primary lesion, but the first clinical symptoms are hematogenous metastasis such as liver metastasis, bone metastasis, and ovarian metastasis.

(3) Symptoms caused by local infiltration

When rectal cancer spreads beyond the intestinal wall and widely infiltrates the pelvis (or recurs in the pelvis after surgery), it can cause soreness and a feeling of heaviness in the waist and sacrum. When the tumor infiltrates or compresses the sciatic nerve or obturator nerve root (lumbar sacral plexus), sciatica or obturator neuralgia may also occur. When the tumor invades the vagina and bladder mucosa forward, vaginal bleeding or hematuria may occur. If colon cancer invades the small intestine that is in contact with and adheres to it to form an internal fistula, postprandial diarrhea may occur, and the symptoms of excreting food that has not been fully digested may occur. When the tumor involves the ureter, hydronephrosis may occur. If both ureters are affected, it may cause urinary retention and uremia, which is a common cause of death due to pelvic recurrence after rectal cancer surgery.

(4) Clinical manifestations caused by implant dissemination

When cancer invades the serosal layer, cancer cells can fall off into the free peritoneal cavity and implant on the peritoneal surface. The bladder-rectal fossa (or uterine-rectal fossa) is the lowest part of the peritoneal cavity, and cancer cells are easily accumulated and implanted there. Rectal examination (or vaginal-rectal examination) can touch implanted nodules there. When the peritoneal surface is widely implanted and spread, ascites or infiltration of implanted foci compressing the intestines may occur, causing intestinal obstruction. Sometimes cancer cells can go down with the stool in the intestinal cavity and implant in anal fistulas or on the surgical wound surface of hemorrhoidectomy due to mistaken diagnosis of rectal cancer as "hemorrhoid bleeding", and form an implanted metastatic foci.

Through the above explanation, we know the symptoms caused by colorectal cancer metastasis. I believe everyone has a certain understanding of the metastasis of colorectal cancer. If you have similar symptoms of colorectal cancer, you must go to a relevant regular hospital for diagnosis and treatment in time. I hope this article can help you or your friends. This article is for reference only. If you have other questions about colorectal cancer, please consult our experts online.

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