Secondary metastasis in the lymph node of the bowel invaded by colon cancer: a report of three cases.

BACKGROUND: Secondary metastasis to regional lymph nodes for adjacent bowel invaded by colorectal cancers (CRCs) has not been extensively reviewed. We herein present three such cases.

CASE PRESENTATION: The first case is a cancer involving the cecum and sigmoid colon, and its primary site could not be determined even by pathological evaluation. Nodal involvement was revealed both in the mesocolon of the cecum and sigmoid. The second and third cases are a sigmoid colon cancer invading the jejunum and an ascending colon cancer invading the jejunum, respectively. These patients harbored secondary metastases to lymph nodes draining from the invaded small bowel segments. In spite of complete resection, all three patients metachronously developed liver metastases or recurrent disseminated nodules in the pelvis and subsequently died.

CONCLUSIONS: In cases of CRC invading another bowel segment, bowel resection with regional lymphadenectomy for both involved segments should be considered to achieve complete resection. However, the radical surgery did not necessarily provide a long-term survival.