Metastases in the intestine

In the last few decades, the incidence of bowel cancer has increased several fold. Most often, intestinal cancer affects people aged, according to statistics, the average age of patients who are diagnosed with this is 50.

Scientists have not yet given a definitive answer to the question "What triggers intestinal cancer and metastases?". But those groups of risk factors that can lead to oncological bowel diseases are known. The first such factor is nutrition. It is known that certain foods, for example, meat and animal fats, contain very little natural fiber. This slows down the progress of the decay products through the intestine. Sometimes the substances that cause a cancerous tumor are part of the products or are produced in the body. Because of the slow movement of the contents of the intestine, such substances for too long affect the walls of the intestine, what can cause intestinal cancer and metastases. Also, the onset of this disease can affect other bowel diseases that last too long or have a chronic form. In addition, it is proved that anal sex can also provoke some factors of intestinal dysfunction, which subsequently lead to neoplasm.

The cancer of the intestine progresses slowly enough - the tumor grows up and down the rectum for about two years, before it spreads to the entire cavity of the intestine. Next, the tumor affects nearby organs and bones. Metastases are carried by internal organs through blood and lymph. As a rule, intestinal cancer "distributes" metastases to the liver, to the lungs and to the nearest lymph nodes.

Separate the four stages of bowel cancer, depending on the severity of the disease:

1. At the first stage there are no metastases, a small tumor (not more than two centimeters) affects the intestinal mucosa.
2. In the second stage, the tumor size reaches five centimeters, the tumor does not extend beyond the intestinal boundaries. There are no metastases or there are single metastases to the nearby lymph nodes.
3. The third stage is characterized by a tumor size of more than five centimeters, which crosses the intestinal wall and begins to spread beyond its limits. There are numerous metastases in the region of nearby lymph nodes.
4. The fourth and most severe stage is characterized by a vast static tumor, which is spread to all organs, tissues and bones of the small pelvis. There are numerous metastases to the region of nearby lymph nodes and distant metastases to other organ systems.

There are a number of signs that may indicate the presence of a cancerous tumor in the intestine. These are symptoms such as atypical discharge from the anal passage with impurities of blood, mucous substances and pus, uncomfortable sensations in the rectum and disruption of the intestine (constipation or diarrhea), pain in bowel movements. Such a symptom does not always speak of cancer, but to clarify the situation and establish an accurate diagnosis for such manifestations, you should consult your doctor to confirm or exclude the presence of oncology.

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]

Bowel cancer and liver metastases

According to statistics, intestinal cancer most often metastasizes to the liver. Metastases are the "daughter" formations of each substandard tumor. They are formed due to the spacing of tumor cells through the body through transport fluids, such as lymph or blood. The fact that the tumor most often affects the metastases of the liver is not accidental and is due to the physiological characteristics of this organ. The fact that the task of the liver is detoxification, so almost all the blood that circulates in the body passes through the liver. So the liver passes through itself to two liters of blood per minute. Metastases in this organ significantly impair its function and slow down the work of the liver. After all, apart from detoxification, the liver performs several more complex biochemical processes in the body. Metastases also worsen the general condition and cause pain syndrome, which completely violates a person's vital activity. Bowel cancer and metastasis to the liver today are amenable to medical and surgical treatment. Unfortunately, a full-blown medicine for cancer has not yet been created, but modern medical products greatly facilitate the general condition of a person and can prolong the patient's life for a sufficiently long period of time. Bowel cancer and metastasis to the liver, in addition to destructive effects on the affected organs, cause a number of complications. Such complications can be the transmission of some important veins, which can cause such a disease as mechanical jaundice. In addition to damage to the body, mechanical jaundice blocks the possibility of treating the underlying disease.

[8], [9], [10], [11], [12]

Bowel cancer and metastasis to the lungs

Experts in the field of cancer claim that the key to recovery in the diagnosis of "intestinal cancer and metastases to the lungs" is the timely application for medical help. Unfortunately, the majority of patients turn to doctors with this problem in the late stages of the disease, since the disease is of a delicate nature. But this greatly complicates the treatment and a favorable outcome. Doctors recommend regular check-ups, even in the absence of characteristic symptoms. It is also very important to take seriously the choice of survey methods. Today, there is no unanimous examination and diagnosis system in the global medical community.

Due to the fact that statistically more often intestinal cancer forms metastases in the liver, both patients and doctors lose sight of the importance of a full-scale check of the whole organism. And meanwhile, the second place in the frequency of metastasis formation in cancer of the intestine is occupied by the lungs. Nevertheless, little attention is paid to lung research. There is an alternative point of view of physicians who believe that intestinal cancer has an order of magnitude more localized in the formation of metastases than lungs than any other organs.

British scientists who conducted statistical studies on "intestinal cancer and lung metastases" published the following results. So among one hundred percent of the patients studied, after a certain treatment, 25% had progression of the disease. In 19% of these patients lung metastases were diagnosed. The remaining 6% of cases were characterized by metastases to other organs and body systems. These data indicate the need for more accurate lung tests in cases of diagnosing bowel cancer. The most preferred method of investigation in such cases is computed tomography.

Everyone knows that cancer is a very terrible diagnosis in today's world and causes a trauma to a person, perhaps commensurate with physical injuries. In this difficult period of life, patients can simply not pay attention to the inadequacy of the body's research, be too tired from endless diagnostics, medications and doctors, or simply not to know about the obligation to thoroughly check the airway area. Nevertheless, it has a very high degree of importance, since it can often cost even a life. In the same study, it was determined that among all patients who had lung metastases, after complete examination and treatment for at least three years, there was no evidence of disease progression.

[13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20]

Colon cancer with metastases

The large intestine is the last part of the gastrointestinal tract. Among the cases of oncological diseases of the digestive tract, colon cancer with metastases takes the third place in frequency. The age of this disease is on average 45 to 60 years. Indicators of the number of patients with a similar diagnosis are not differentiated by gender - both men and women are ill with the same frequency. Recently, doctors are increasingly inclined to think that one of the main causes of oncological formations in the intestines is a sedentary lifestyle and malnutrition. It is commonly believed that the most common cancer of the colon with metastases is found in those people, most of whose diet are animal fats, while minimally consuming products containing vegetable fiber. The appearance of colon cancer is directly related to the location of the tumor in the intestine and the stage of the disease. Since the first time after the appearance of the tumor does not manifest itself in any way, they seek medical help, as a rule, in the late stages of the disease. Timely diagnosis and treatment of physicians greatly facilitate and speed up the treatment process.

It should be noted that genetic predisposition plays a significant role in the causes of colon cancer. Everyone who has had a relative with oncological diseases or colon diseases has a high risk of developing a similar disease in himself. There is also a high degree of such risk in people who have inflammatory processes in the intestine or ulcerative colitis. Although statistically, this group of people is the least susceptible to the disease, relative to the rest. In most cases, colon cancer with metastases develops spontaneously. Despite the fact that many factors are associated with this disease, such as an improper diet or excessive use of alcohol for a long time, or heredity, the exact causes of the disease are not established and scientists around the world are actively working on this question.

[21], [22], [23], [24], [25], [26], [27]

Symptoms of metastases in the intestine

Oncological diseases of the intestine develop relatively slowly, because a sufficiently long period of time do not show any symptoms. Symptoms of metastases in the intestine are completely different, depending on their location in the intestine and the degree of organ damage. There are such symptoms of metastases in the intestine:

• Isolation of a certain amount of blood together with the contents of the intestine. This, most often, is clearly visible in the last stages of cancer. The first time the amount of blood is so small that it will simply not be noticed. Regardless of the fact that the presence of bloody discharge in the feces may indicate a number of other diseases, in the detection of this symptom it is recommended that the specialist consult as quickly as possible. This is especially true of people of advanced age.
• Constant problems with digestion and feelings of discomfort in the abdomen. It can be a variety of symptoms, such as strong and frequent flatulence, chronic pain in the abdominal region, rumbling or too obvious a feeling of "some kind of process" occurring in the abdomen. It is characteristic that the most common complaint in the primary diagnosis is this: "the feeling that something is constantly going on in the stomach". It is important to remember that at a normal level of health a person should not feel any processes occurring in the body too clearly.
• An intestinal disorder. It can be expressed as in constipation, which does not pass after changing the diet and taking medication, and in diarrhea.
• Feeling not fully emptied of the intestines after stool.
• In cases where there is a tumor of large size, there may be a large increase in the size of the abdomen or an obvious bulge in one place in the abdominal region. Do not confuse these symptoms with the usual fullness or weight gain and body volume. In cases of a tumor, the enlarged abdomen becomes and looks disproportionate.
• General weakness, asthenic syndrome, a sharp decrease in body weight, problems with appetite, nausea or vomiting, a slight increase in temperature, which do not have other visible causes.
• A sudden onset of jaundice can signal that the cancer has spread to the liver or gall bladder.
• In more severe cases, there is a tendency to develop intestinal obstruction. This is because the large size of the cancerous tumor forms a blockage in the intestinal cavity and the processed masses can not move freely to the exit. Because of this, there is a buildup of stools in one place of the intestine, which in the end provokes a significant stretching (and sometimes a rupture) of the walls of the large intestine. Such a symptom as intestinal obstruction can also be characterized by a prolonged absence of fecal and gas secretions, very strong pain symptoms in the abdominal cavity, a malnutrition, marked nausea and vomiting, a critically unbearable bloating. It is worth remembering that intestinal obstruction is extremely dangerous for life and requires immediate medical treatment. Doctors insist that all people, and especially from the age of 45 years, who for no apparent reason had intestinal obstruction or symptomatic hinting at it, were immediately examined for oncological formations in the intestinal cavity.

Diagnosis of metastases in the intestine

If there is at least one symptom of the above, which may indicate the presence of oncological formations in the intestinal region, you should contact the medical institution as soon as possible. For the diagnosis and installation of an accurate diagnosis. There are several methods of diagnosis in such cases.

The primary diagnosis of metastases in the intestine is the analysis of feces for the presence of blood elements in it, since the presence of blood is one of the earliest signs of the disease. With the help of such an analysis, even very small amounts of blood can be diagnosed, which occur at the earliest stages of the disease. Those people who for any reason have an increased risk of cancer, doctors recommend that they regularly take such an analysis, especially after the turn of 45 years.

There is also a diagnosis of metastases in the intestine, as a finger study. This study allows you to determine the presence of a tumor in the last parts of the rectum. This study consists in the fact that the doctor checks the inner surface of the intestine with a finger. This is also one of the simplest methods of research and it makes it possible to determine the tumor if it is located near the anal opening. Despite the fact that many patients consider this method to be difficult or unacceptable due to the moral side of the question, finger research is really gentle and simple relative to other more stringent methods.

Research by entering into the intestines through the anus of a flexible tube is called sigmoidoscopy. It is also a way of diagnosing oncological formations in the lower part of the intestine. With the help of this tube, the doctor examines the internal surfaces of the mucous membranes for negative formations.

Another method of diagnosis allows you to explore almost the entire cavity of the intestine, as well as take tissue samples for more detailed analysis. This method consists in the fact that the doctor examines the intestine by introducing a flexible optical device through the anus and can observe almost all the mucosa for negative changes.

Computer tomography also allows you to diagnose cancer in the intestinal cavity. This method of diagnosis is that the patient is given a special medical solution that envelops the intestinal cavity of the intestine and then a special gas is introduced into the intestinal space in order for the walls of the organ to straighten and you could display a detailed image and carefully examine the cavity of the organ on the subject of foreign formations.

Obligatory is biopsy, so that there is an opportunity to examine the tissues and to reveal in them the presence or absence of cancer cells. If the diagnosis is confirmed after a biopsy, a number of additional diagnostic methods are prescribed, such as ultrasound of the pelvic organs and the abdominal region, fluorography or chest X-ray and others.

[28], [29], [30], [31], [32], [33], [34], [35], [36]

Treatment of intestinal metastases

To date, the most common way to treat metastases in the intestines is surgical treatment. The purpose of such treatment is to remove the tumor and damaged tissue around it. Also, this operation often removes and lymph nodes that are located next to the lesion, because it is in them that the cancer cells spread. If after the operation there is no possibility to connect the two ends of the operated bowel, then they turn to such a method as colostomy. Its essence lies in the fact that the open end of the intestine is removed to the surface of the skin on the abdomen and attached to it by the kalopriemnik. In most cases, such a measure is temporary and after a while the patient is re-surgical, with the goal of a natural intestinal connection. But if such an operation can not be done for some reason, this method remains constant. Modern methods of treatment nevertheless allowed to improve surgical technique in the medical solution of the question of intestinal cancer.

Treatment of metastases in the intestines more and more often occurs without recourse to colostomy, since there appeared such a sparing kind of surgical intervention as laparoscopy. This method allows to perform the operation with the least trauma of the tissues, since the surgeon needs to do just a few small point incisions or punctures, which provides a quick recovery after the operation and does not interfere with the functioning of the anal sphincter. Often, after surgical treatment of metastases in the intestine, men complain of a loss of ability to erect. This is due to the fact that in the operation the nerve endings in the pelvic region that are responsible for the sexual function are affected or damaged.

Today's surgical methods make it possible to avoid these problems, and even if this happens, then the sexual function is completely restored in time. In extreme cases, the doctor prescribes a special course of treatment that helps to solve sexual problems and restore the normal healthy potential of men.

Prognosis of intestinal metastases

The prognosis of metastases in the intestine directly depends on the severity and stage of the disease. So at the first stage, the likelihood that the disease tends to be cured is very high. But unfortunately, in a fairly large number of patients, oncology in the intestine is diagnosed at later stages of development. In general, thanks to timely surgical intervention in combination with such therapies as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, about 50% of all patients are cured. As the world statistics show, these indicators tend to constantly increase. But the highest figure can be achieved unconditionally only if we have the earliest possible diagnosis. If we consider the statistics of those patients in whom the tumor has spread only to the intestinal cavity but has not spread beyond its limits, then the number of cures takes a very high percentage, an average of about 86%. Among those patients whose spread beyond the intestinal region occurred, but without the spread of disease cells into the area of other organs, and if the lymph nodes remain intact, the number of cures in the percentage is more than 70% of the cases. In patients with more complex cases of the disease, the percentage of cure is in the range of 20-40%. The likelihood of a favorable outcome in this group of patients significantly increases the use of this method of treatment as adjuvant therapy. The group of patients who seek medical care at the last stage of the disease or with the presence of serious complications recommend the use of chemotherapy as a treatment, as this helps to reduce the size of the tumor, significantly alleviate the symptoms and negative manifestations of the disease and, in most cases, significantly prolong life with increase of its quality.

Thus, the prognosis of metastases in the intestine shows that with timely access to medical care, the disease tends to be cured. It is important to remember that the sooner treatment starts, the greater the likelihood of a favorable outcome of the situation.