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