spread

Last reviewed 01/2018

Rectal carcinoma may spread:

Locally:

• around the bowel lumen
• invasive spread into the muscular wall
• infiltration into adjacent organs, e.g. prostate, bladder, vagina, etc

Lymphatically:

• initially to the inferior mesenteric nodes
• later spread occurs to the iliac nodes, groin nodes - retrograde spread, and supraclavicular nodes

Via the blood - haematogenous spread:

• liver
• lungs

Transcoelomic spread:

• seeding to the peritoneal cavity