What Does Metastasized Colon Cancer Mean?

What does it mean when someone says they have metastasized colon cancer?

Metastasis means that the cancer has spread from the colon to other parts of the body such as the lymph nodes or liver.

For example, if someone has colon cancer and it has metastasized, this means that the cancer has spread from the colon to nearby tissue or organs.

Cancer cells can break away from the original tumor and travel through the bloodstream to other parts of the body.

When cancer cells spread and form a new tumor in a different location, it is called a metastatic tumor. The cells of the metastatic tumor come from the original tumor.

If say, colon cancer spreads to the liver, the metastatic tumor in the liver is made up of colon cancer cells and not liver cells.

It is then called metastatic colon cancer and not liver cancer. When these cells are examined with a microscope they usually look the same as the cells in the colon.

Symptoms

Many do not experience any symptoms when their cancer has metastasized, but when they occur they can be:

• Bloody stools
• Constipation
• Change in bowel habits
• Change in stool size
• Cramps
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Feeling of fullness
• Loss of appetite
• Pain
• Unexpected weight loss

If the cancer has spread, you will experience different symptoms depending on where the cancer has metastasized and how big it is.

Here Are A Few Examples

1. Brain
   May cause headaches, seizures, memory, concentration, balance and movement problems.
   
   
2. Bones
   May cause pain in your bones, particularly in your back, hips and pelvis, and may lead to bone fractures.
   
   
3. Lungs
   May cause you to cough up blood, have shortness of breath and experience pain in the chest area.
   
   
4. Liver
   One of the most common areas where colon cancer metastasizes is the liver. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, jaundice, bloating, and loss of appetite.
   
   
5. Lymph Nodes
   May cause bloating, loss of appetite, and a feeling of fullness even if you've just been to the bathroom.

The mortality rate for metastasized cancer is high, once the cancer has spread, statistics say that the chances of a cure are low, but new treatments are constantly under study.

The National Cancer Institute sponsors clinical trials with cancer patients in many hospitals, universities, medical schools and cancer centers.

The colon cancer treatments used in dealing with metastasized colon cancer are usually chemotherapy, radiation therapy, biological therapy and surgery. The choice of treatment will depend on the location and size of the metastasis, and the patients age and general health.