Is colon cancer invading the submucosa early stage?

Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
Updated on April 19, 2025
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The lesion of colon cancer has invaded the submucosa, which could be either early stage or advanced stage, as the staging of colon cancer is determined by three factors. First is the primary lesion of the colon cancer itself, second is the regional lymph node metastasis, and third is distant metastasis. The invasion of the submucosa in colon cancer is just indicative of the status of the primary lesion; we also need to consider the regional lymph nodes and distant metastasis to determine the stage. If the lesion has invaded the submucosa without regional lymph node metastasis and no distant metastasis, then its clinical stage is early. If the lesion of colon cancer has not only invaded the submucosa but also has regional lymph node metastasis or has metastasized to distant organs, then the condition would be considered as advanced stage.

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Can late-stage colon cancer be completely removed by surgery?

In clinical practice, for patients with mid-to-late-stage colon cancer, even after curative surgical resection, it is often difficult to completely remove the tumor. This is because by the mid-to-late stages, the colon cancer has typically started to invade surrounding tissues. Despite curative surgery, patients may still have subclinical lesions, which are typically hard to detect either under a microscope or with the naked eye. The presence of these subclinical lesions leads to a higher likelihood of recurrence and metastasis after curative surgery in mid-to-late-stage colon cancer patients. Therefore, to reduce the rates of recurrence and metastasis, it is common clinical practice to administer adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy after the curative surgical resection for patients with mid-to-late-stage colon cancer, aiming to decrease the risk of cancer recurrence and metastasis.

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Is colon cancer invading the submucosa early stage?

The lesion of colon cancer has invaded the submucosa, which could be either early stage or advanced stage, as the staging of colon cancer is determined by three factors. First is the primary lesion of the colon cancer itself, second is the regional lymph node metastasis, and third is distant metastasis. The invasion of the submucosa in colon cancer is just indicative of the status of the primary lesion; we also need to consider the regional lymph nodes and distant metastasis to determine the stage. If the lesion has invaded the submucosa without regional lymph node metastasis and no distant metastasis, then its clinical stage is early. If the lesion of colon cancer has not only invaded the submucosa but also has regional lymph node metastasis or has metastasized to distant organs, then the condition would be considered as advanced stage.

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What should not be eaten with transverse colon cancer?

Transverse colon cancer is a type of colon cancer. Generally speaking, in terms of diet, one should not eat spicy, stimulating, or hard-to-digest foods, such as overly spicy food, hot pot, smoked, grilled, or pickled foods. It is best to avoid these, as well as alcohol and tobacco. Because transverse colon cancer can lead to intestinal blockage as the tumor grows, consuming spicy, stimulating, or indigestible foods, or overeating and causing indigestion, can lead to intestinal obstruction. This is a relatively high risk, and typically, once transverse colon cancer is diagnosed, consideration should begin for primarily curative surgery.

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Is colon cancer surgery a major surgery?

Colon cancer surgery is considered a relatively major procedure, ranking as a class three or four surgery in general surgery. Generally, it involves the resection of the entire transverse colon or tumors located in other areas such as the ascending or descending colon, accompanied by the removal of surrounding lymph nodes, followed by intestinal anastomosis and digestive tract reconstruction. Post-surgery, comprehensive anti-tumor treatment is usually required. After colon cancer surgery, the main focus is on preventing intestinal leakage, which is a serious complication. Dietary intake needs to be gradually restored after surgery. Initially, the patient may only be able to consume liquid and easily digestible foods, gradually transitioning to semi-liquid and regular diets, while also paying attention to eating smaller, more frequent meals.

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What should be done after the complete removal of colon cancer?

After surgical removal of colon cancer, the postoperative treatment strategy should be determined based on the precise staging of the cancer according to the surgical pathology. If the colon cancer has invaded the mucosal layer and the submucosal layer, or the muscular layer, it is staged as stage I; postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is not required, and regular follow-up is sufficient. If the colon cancer reaches stage II or III, postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is needed to reduce the risk of postoperative recurrence and metastasis. Stage IV colon cancer does not fall under the aforementioned conditions of clean removal of the cancer.