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Metastases in cancer of the bowel: characteristic symptoms

Feature cancer is a serious problem, because no one can accurately articulate objective reasons for the development of the disease. Furthermore, frightening is the fact that there is a direct link between the level of development of society and growth of cancer diseases. This fully confirms the growing number of people who suffer from colorectal cancer.

This insidious disease that requires serious treatment, a threat that may be accompanied by emergence of secondary tumor foci. The occurrence of metastases in bowel cancer, like other cancers, significantly reduces the chances of a cure. It is therefore very important to have a clear idea of what is metastasis and what are their symptoms to catch the disease at an earlier stage.

Features of metastasis of bowel cancer

Called metastasis the secondary tumor foci arising out of the movement degenerated cells through the lymphatic or blood systems. Breaking away from a malignant tumor, these cells through the blood or lymph fall into the next to the primary lesion lymph nodes and spread from there to distant organs by hitting them and greatly complicating treatment.

metastazy v kishechnikeMetastases in the intestine do not appear immediately. For several years may develop only one tumor, which often occurs at the site of polyp. Increasing in size, the tumor goes through four stages in its development, and metastasis are accompanied by only the third and fourth stage, when the tumor, filling the cavity of the intestine, begins to grow deep into the intestinal wall and reaches the lymph and blood vessels.

The metastases occur in the following sequence:

  • Lymph nodes are the main organs that performs immune functions get degenerated cells with flow of lymph. This leads to inflammation, disruption of protective and hematopoietic function, but, most importantly, contributes to the spread of metastases in other organs with lymph flow.
  • The liver, flowing through the blood, filters out and the Mets lingering in the body, forming secondary cancer lesions, accompanied by severe pain syndrome. Tumors also adjusted to the fact that the authority is unable to carry out hematopoietic function and detoxification.
  • Easy – on, braided network of blood vessels, which, in addition to the blood, circulates lymph fluid, performing a drainage function. Getting into the lungs metastasis of lymph does not manifest itself in pain, so the development of secondary tumors in the lungs is diagnosed, often too late.
  • The pelvic bones and the pelvic organs affected by metastases in the least. This defeat says about the severe stage of the disease.

Symptoms

There are a number of signs that can accompany colorectal cancer. The main symptoms of metastasis to the intestine are:

  • boli v zhivoteThe presence in the faeces admixture of blood and pus.
  • The constant slight fever.
  • Loss of appetite and weight loss, weakness.
  • Pain in the abdomen.
  • Frequent diarrhea or constipation, until the development of intestinal obstruction.
  • Flatulence.
  • The disproportionate growth of any part of the abdomen.
  • Nausea and vomiting.

Although these symptoms in some cases indicate disease of the gastrointestinal tract, their occurrence should serve as a signal to serious examination, not to miss the development of cancer.

Diagnosis and treatment

The effectiveness of the treatment of any neoplasm depends ontimely diagnosis of the disease. There are such diagnostic methods.

  • kolonoskopiyaExamination of feces for the presence of blood.
  • Or rectal finger examination of the lower intestine.
  • Rektomanoskopii that allows you to explore up to thirty centimeters of the colon.
  • Sigmoidoscopy, which can allow to check about half of the intestine.
  • Colonoscopy, through which you view all sections of the intestine.
  • Biopsy.
  • X-ray and MRI.

The appearance of metastases in the small intestine and in the colon or rectum for colorectal cancer suggests that the disease had reached the third or fourth stage. The treatment of the disease at this stage almost always includes surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.