Abdominal metastases
Metastases are defined as secondary foci of malignant tumor growth, arise from the main malignant tumor and spread from it in various ways. Clinical studies in the field of oncology have shown that metastasis of malignant tumors has certain development paths: lymphogenous, hematogenous, implantation and mixed.
Lymphogenous pathway - the penetration of cancer cells into the lymphatic vessel and their transportation by the lymph flow to the nearest or distant lymph nodes. The hematogenous pathway through the blood vessels leads to the formation of metastases in distant organs. They also isolate implantation metastases, which spread when cancer cells enter various body cavities containing fluid, for example, the abdominal cavity.
The liquid spreads the trapped cancer cells, they are deposited and implanted on the surface of the walls of internal organs located in the peritoneum. To identify the nature of the tumor, use the method of sampling the contents of the cavity (puncture) and conduct a cytological study of atypical cells. Oncologists also describe the existence of dormant abdominal metastases.
They are carried through the human body in any way, grow extremely slowly, and do not show their activity for a long time. If they are detected early enough, then an operation is prescribed, and to prevent recurrence and destruction of the remaining metastases, patients undergo a course of chemotherapy. A timely visit to a doctor will turn out to be a very prudent act, since the growth of dormant metastases can begin at any time.
For this, the effects of various stresses, hormonal disturbances, climate change, visits to the solarium, where prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays enhances the growth of neoplasms, are sufficient. Diagnosis of abdominal metastases is performed with very high accuracy using the method of magnetic resonance imaging, which allows you to obtain layer-by-layer images of internal organs.
It is based on irradiation of a person with electromagnetic waves in a strong magnetic field, their fixation and processing by means of a computer. Removal of metastases is usually performed with radiation therapy, ion radiation almost completely destroys tumor cells. It can be used to irradiate the entire peritoneal cavity or a specific area in which they are located.
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In cases where metastases are not available for the surgeon's scalpel, the method of stereotactic radiosurgery is used. As a result, a metastatic tumor is irradiated from three sides with 1400 beams of high-power ionizing radiation at different angles and is destroyed forever without recurrence of the disease. Healthy tissues around the tumor are not affected, this is possible due to the high accuracy of the Cyber Knife and the unique computerized targeting system.
The operation is performed on an outpatient basis, lasts 30-40 minutes and does not require more than 5 procedures. Of course, no course of treatment is complete without drug therapy, which includes pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs that eliminate the main symptoms. They relieve pain, relieve cramps, exclude edema. The complex treatment also includes chemotherapy drugs designed to destroy tumor and metastatic cells.
The abdominal cavity and the organs located in it are covered with a specific thin tissue - the peritoneum. One of the functions of the peritoneum is the release of a certain amount of fluid, designed to protect the internal organs from sticking together and to ensure free movement of the intestinal loop.
Tumor processes, due to the spread of metastases to the peritoneum, disrupt the absorption of fluid into the peritoneal tissue. Accumulating fluid causes ascites and, as a result, an increase in the abdomen. The abdominal cavity affected by metastases is a complex space, the dense arrangement of vital organs requires special treatment methods.
Treatment of metastases in the abdominal cavity
Surgical treatment is aimed at removing metastases; this is possible when performing abdominal surgery, which is very complex, lasting several hours, which is associated with a high frequency of complications. Thanks to the development and improvement of technologies, a method of hyperthermia based on exposure to high temperature has appeared, which is successfully used in operations to remove metastases in the abdominal cavity, in most cases without side complications.
Why is it necessary to remove metastases after the main tumor? According to statistics, the majority of patients suffering from oncology of the peritoneal cavity, whose metastases were removed, completely healed. The most important thing for success in cancer treatment is its early detection, because experience shows that patients turn to doctors when the cancer reaches an operable stage. Therefore, it is necessary to make every effort to ensure timely assistance, and that no patient has the fourth stage of cancer.
Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist
Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".
