Colorectal cancer is most common GI cancer
The rectum is the most frequent site involved
Adenoma-carcinoma sequence: Arises from adenoma in stepwise progression
2. Rectal Carcinoma
Colorectal cancer is most common GI cancer
The rectum is the most frequent site involved
Adenoma-carcinoma sequence: Arises from adenoma
in stepwise progression
Mostly present as an ulcer, also polypoid and
infiltrating types are common
3. Types of carcinoma spread
Local spread
Lymphatic spread
Venous spread
Peritoneal dissemination
4. Local spread
Occurs circumferentially rather than in a longitudinal
direction
Once muscular coat penetrated, growth spreads into
mesorectum
If penetration occurs it involves,
Anteriorly: In female- vagina or uterus
In male- prostate, seminal vesicles or bladder
Laterally : ureter
Posteriorly : sacrum and sacral plexus
5. Lymphatic spread
Above and below the peritoneal reflection- in an
upward direction
But when neoplasm lies within the field of middle
rectal artery, primary lateral spread along lymphatics
occurs
Lately metastasis is at higher level than main trunk of
the superior rectal artery
Atypical and widspread lymphatic permeation
occurs in highly undifferentiated lesion
6. Venous Spread
Principles sites – Liver -34%,
Lungs -22%
Adrenals 11%
Other areas(including brain) – 33%
Peritoneal Dissemination
May follow penetration of the peritoneal coat by a high –
lying rectal carcinoma
9. Modified Duke classification
Stage features Prognosis
A Growth limited to rectal wall Excellent
B Growth extended to extra rectal
tissues, but no metastasis to
regional lymph nodes
Reasonable
C Lymph nodes involved
C1= local pararectal lymph nodes
alone are involved,
C2 = nodes accompanying
supplying blood vessels are
implicated up to point of division
Poor
D Not described by this method,
signifies the presences of
widespread of metastases, usually
10.
11. TNM classification
• Tumor stage
• T1 tumor invasion
through muscularis
mucosae but not into
muscularis propria;
• T2 tumor invasion into
muscularis propria but
not through it;
• T3 tumor invasion
through muscularis
propria but not through
serosa or mesorectal
fascia;
• T4 tumor invasion
through the serosa or
mesorectal fascia
• M metastases
• M0 No distant metastases;
• M1 distant metastases
N Nodal stage
• N0 No nodes involved;
• N1 One or three nodes involved;
• N2 four or more nodes involved
12. Clinical Features
> 55 years of age
Bleeding per rectum
Earliest and most common symptom
Slight in amount and occurs at the end of defecation
Altered bowel habit
has to get up early in order to defecate OR,
one who passes blood and mucus in addition to faeces (‘early-
morning bloody diarrhoea’)
annular carcinoma at the recto sigmoid junction
constipation
13. Contd…
Sense of incomplete defecation (tenesmus)
A distressing straining to empty the bowels without resultant
evacuation
Presentation delayed or easily missed
Initial rectal examination and a low threshold for investigating
persistent symptoms are essential to prevent this
14. Contd…
Pain
A late symptom
A colicky character
When a deep carcinomatous ulcer of the rectum erodes the
prostate or bladder severe pain
Pain in the back, or sciatica cancer invading the sacral plexus
Weight loss Suggestive of hepatic metastases
15. •ABDOMINAL EXAMINATION
Sign of obstruction when large tumor present
Liver metastasis may be palpable
•RECTAL EXAMINATION
Neoplasm can be felt
In female when neoplasm is situated in anterior
wall vaginal examination should be done
Investigation
16. Proctosigmoidoscopy
will always show a carcinoma, if present, provided that the rectum is
emptied of feces beforehand
Biopsy
Using biopsy forceps via a sigmoidoscope, a portion from edge and from
center of the mass
Colonoscopy
is required if possible in all patients to exclude a synchronous tumor
CT colonography
Barium enema
17. Treatment
Before starting treatment:
Assess the fitness of the patient
Assess the extent of spread of the tumor
Assessment of the extent of spread
CT of the chest and abdomen to exclude distant metastases
Positron emission tomography (PET) scanning
Endoluminal ultrasound
MRI
18. Principles of surgical treatment
Aim: radical excision of the rectum, together with the
mesorectum and associated lymph nodes
Locally advanced tumor: neoadjuvant chemo
radiotherapy(5-FU and Leucovorin) over
approximately 6 weeks may reduce its size and make
curative surgery possible
Even in the presence of widespread metastases, a
rectal excision is often the best means of palliation
19. Contd…
‘Short-course’ (5 days) neoadjuvant radiotherapy (in
resectable rectal cancer) significantly reduces the
incidence of local recurrence, but increased
complications
For unfit patients or having very early tumors or
who have widespread metastases:
Transanal excision
Laser destruction or
Interstitial radiation should be considered
20. Contd…
When a rectal excision is possible, the aim should be to
restore gastrointestinal continuity and continence
A sphincter-saving operation (anterior resection) is
usually possible for tumors whose lower margin is 2 cm
above the anal canal
Total mesorectal excision (TME): For tumors in the
middle and lower thirds of the rectum
High anterior resection : for rectosigmoid tumors and
those in the upper third of the rectum
21. Preoperative Preparation
Mechanical bowel preparation(Diet , purgative, enema)
Counselling
Correction of anaemia and electrolyte disturbance
Cross-matching of blood
Prophylactic antibiotics (Cefuroxime
750mg+Metronidazole 500 mg on induction of
anaesthia)
Deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis
Insertion of urethral catheter
22. Surgical Modalities
Local operations
For low-grade T1 tumours, curative;
This is usually done via the anus
however do not allow full histopathological staging or deal with the
mesorectal or lymphatic spread of the tumour
local recurrence rate of 20 % after local excision of T2 tumours
23. Anterior resection
Sphincter saving operations to treat most tumours of the middle
third of the rectum, and indeed many in the lower third.
Open or laparoscopic
Abdominoperineal excision
tumours of the lower third of the rectum, which are unsuitable for a
sphincter-saving procedure
Abdominal procedure is laparoscopic or midline
24.
25. Hartman’s operation
in old and frail patient in whom there is concern about
anal sphincter function or the viability of anastomosis
Palliative colostomy
In intestinal obstruction, or where there is gross
infiltration of the neoplasm
Pelvic exenteration (Brunschwig’s operation)
The aim is to remove all the pelvic organs, together
with the internal iliac and the obturator groups of
lymph nodes
26. Liver resection
well-localised liver metastases can now be resected
Radiography
Preoperative radiotherapy can reduce local recurrence
Chemotherapy
The most frequently used drug is 5-fluorouracil
infused into the portal vein during and immediately after the
primary operation have shown a small benefit.
27.
28. Results of surgery for rectal cancer
Resectability rate is up to 95 %, with an operative
mortality of less than 5 %
Overall, the five-year survival rate is about 50 %
Survival rates are influenced by TNM/Dukes’ stage,
histological grade
The lower the tumour is in the rectum, the worse the
outlook
Local recurrence rates 2-25 %.
The most common cause is inadequate removal of the
whole tumour at the initial operation.
29. Polyps
Polyp is a non specific clinical term that
describes any projection form the surface
of the intestinal mucosa regardless of the
histologic nature.
Polyps can occur singly, synchronously in
small numbers or as in small numbers or
as part of polyposis syndrome
34. Risk of developing malignancy increase with
increasing size
• 1cm diameter Tubular adenoma = 10%
risk
• Villous adenoma >2cm = 15% risk
Adenomas >5mm diameter are treated
because of their malignant potential
35. Familial adenomatous polyposis
Presence of more than 100 colorectal adenomas
but also characterized by duodenal adenomas
and multiple extraintestinal manifestations
Autosomal dominant
+ve family history80%
20% from mutation in the adenomatous
polyposis coli (APC) gene on the short arm of
chromosome 5
Accounts for <1% of colorectal cancer
38. Large bowel is mainly affected but can occur in the
stomach, duodenum, and small intestine
It is inherited as a Mendelian dominant condition,
i.e. risk of colorectal cancer in patients with FAP is
100%
Can be associated with benign mesodermal tumors
Desmoid tumors
Osteomas
Polyps are seen on sigmoidoscopy and if
asymptomatic are shown in a double contrast
barium enema
39. Clinical features
Symptomatic
Are patients in whom a new mutation has occurred or
those from an affected family who have not been
screened
Loose stools
Lower abdominal pain
weight loss
Diarrhoea
passage of blood and mucous
40. Asymptomatic
Direct genetic testing reveals mutations in 80% of cases.
If there is identified mutation in the family with FAP, any
resulting negative tests for this can be interpreted as
individual does not carry mutation.
If there is no adenoma by the age of 30 FAP is unlikely.
If diagnosis is made during adolescence
• Operation is deferred to the age of 17 or 18
• Or when symptoms develop
• Or when multiple polyps develop
41. Screening policy
1. At-risk family members are offered genetic testing in their early teens
2. At-risk members of the family should be examined at the age of 10-12
years, repeated every year
3. Most of those who are going to get polyps will have them at 20 years, and
these require operations
4. If there are no polyps at the age of 20 years, continue five yearly
examination until age of 50 years: if there are still no polyps, there is
probably no inherited gene. Carcinomatous changes may exceptionally
occur before the age of 20 years.
Examination of blood relatives is essential and family tree should be
constructed and a register of affected family members maintained.
42. Treatment
The aim of treatment is to prevent the
development of colorectal cancer
Colectomy with Ileorectal anastomosis (IRA)
Alternative is Restorative proctocolectomy
(RPC) with an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis
Total proctectomy and end ileostomy (normally
reserved for patients with a low rectal cancer)
43. • Avoids an ileostomy in
young patient
• Avoids risks of pelvic
dissection to nerve
function
• Requires regular
surveillance
• Still, the risk of developing
carcinoma is 10% over a
period of 30 years.
• Higher complication rate
• Indication
• Serious rectal
involvement with polyps
• Poor attending for
followup
• Established cancer of
rectum and sigmoid
• Small cuff of rectal
mucosa left behind with
the stapled anastomosis
Restorative
proctocolectomy (RPC)
Ileorectal
anastomosis (IRA)
44. Postoperative surveillance:
Because of risk of tumor formation, follow
up is important
Takes the form of rectal/pouch surveillence
Gastroscopies to detect upper GI tumors
45. Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal
cancer (Lynch’s syndrome)
Characterized by:
increased risk of colo-rectal cancer
Cancers of endometrium, ovary, stomach,
and small intestines
Autosomal dominant
Caused by mutation in one of the DNA
mismatch repair genes
MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS and PMS2
People with MLH1, MSH2 show
syndrome.
46. Life time risk of developing colorectal cancer
is 80%
Mean age of diagnosis is 44 years
Most cancers develop in proximal colon
Females with HNPCC have 30-50% risk of
developing endometrial cancer.
The average age of diagnosis is 46 years in
this group.
47. Diagnosis
By genetic testing or Amsterdam criteria II
or genetic testing :
Three or more family members with an
HNPCC-related cancer one of whom is a
first-degree relative of the other two
Two successive affected generations
One or more HNPCC related cancer
diagnosed before the age of 50 years;
FAP excluded;
50. Polyps in the rectum
Are either single or multiple
Adenomas are the most frequent histological type
Villous adenomas may be extensive and undergo
malignant change more commonly than tubular
adenomas
All adenomas must be removed to avoid carcinomatous
change
All patients must undergo colonoscopy to determine
whether further polyps are present
Most polyps can be removed by endoscopic techniques,
but sometimes major surgery is required
51. Juvenile Polyp
Is a bright red glistening pedunculated
sphere (‘cherry tumour’)
Found in infants and children
Occasionally persist into adult life
Can cause:
Bleeding
Pain if it prolapses during defecation
Often separates itself but, can be removed
easily with forceps or snare
52. Solitary Juvenile polyp has no tendency to
malignant change
Unique histological structure
Large mucous filled spaces covered by a smooth
surface of thin rectal cuboidal epithelium
Juvenile polyposis syndrome
Rare
Autosomal dominant
Characterized by
Multiple Juvenile Polyps and
Positive family history
54. Inflammatory Pseudopolyps
Are oedematous islands of mucosa
Usually associated with colitis but most
inflamatory disease can cause them
They are more likely to cause radiological
difficulty as the sigmoidoscopic appearances
are usually associated with obvious signs of
the inflammatory cause.
55. Villous Adenomas
Have a characteristic frond-like appearance
May be very large and occassionally fill the
entire rectum
Enhanced tendency to become malignant
Rarely, the profuse mucous discharge from
these tumors which is rich in potassium
Causes dangerous electrolyte and fluid
losses
57. If cancerous change has been excluded, these tumors
can be removed by:
Submucosal resection endoscopically
Surgically per anum
Or by sleeve resection from above
Occasionally rectal excision required
Transanal endoscopic microsurgery
Recent technique
Has improved the endoanal approach for the local
removal of villous adenomas
Requires the insertion of large sigmoidoscope
58. Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
Autosomal dominant
Characterised by development of multiple
rectal and colonic polyps around puberty
Adenomatous polyposis coli(APC)
Colonoscopy and biopsy will confirm the
diagnosis
59. As this is pre-malignant condition:
A total colectomy must be performed
Rectum can be preserved
But regular flexible endoscopy and removal of
polyps before they develop carcinoma is required
Alternative:
Restorative proctocolectomy with pouch-anus
anastomosis
If patient follow up is poor
A Pan-proctocolectomy with permanent ileostomy
is necessary
60. Treatment
Colonoscopic polypectomy is satisfactory in
the case of most adenomas
For large lesions, especially the sessile
variety, transanal excision or even
excision of the rectum may be the only
curative treatment
Follow-up is required, the frequency
depending on the number, size and
histological type of adenomas
Rectosigmoid tumours and those in the upper third of the
rectum are removed by ‘high anterior resection’, in which the
rectum and mesorectum are taken to a margin 5 cm distal to the
tumour, and a colorectal anastomosis is performed
All patients should see a stoma care nurse preoperatively and
be sited for a temporary or permanent ileostomy or colostomy.
They must also be counselled as to the complications of the
procedure, and particularly about the risks of pelvic autonomic
nerve damage causing bladder and sexual disturbance, especially
impotence.
For these tumours, especially in the unfit or in patients who will not accept a colostomy, local removal has been used.
Combined local excision with chemotherapy and radiotherapy has been suggested as a curative treatment for T1and T2 tumours, but is not widely accepted.
Hartman - abdominal incision, the rectum is excised, the anorectal stump is transected, usually with a stapler and an end colostomy is formed.
Such intraportal adjuvant therapy is thought to kill malignant cells, which are released into the circulation during operative manipulation of the tumour
In specialised centres, the resectability rate may be as high as 95 per cent