Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomySymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anatomy
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Frequently Asked Questions
Cecum cancer is a specific type of cancer that can develop at the very beginning of the colon. Signs and symptoms can be hard to spot until the cancer is advanced but may include abdominal pain, bloating, weight loss, and tarry stools.
Historical studies show that up to 20% of colorectal cancers occur in the cecum (in some studies it is much less common).Cecum cancer is usually found with a colonoscopy. But since the test isn’t always able to reach the cecum, the prognosis is worse for this type of colon cancer.
This article will discuss the signs and symptoms of cecum cancer, and how it is diagnosed and treated.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
Anatomy and Function of the Cecum
In order to better understand the symptoms you might expect from cecum cancer, it’s helpful to review the anatomy and function of the colon in the digestive process.
Your colon is divided into five parts:
The location of the cecum can make it more difficult to find cancer than in other regions of the colon.
Cecum Cancer Symptoms
Unfortunately, the majority of cecum cancer symptoms are not noticeable until the disease is already advanced. Potential symptoms may include:
Acolonoscopyis the best test for visually detecting cancer of the cecum.In a colonoscopy, a healthcare provider advances a colonoscope through your entire colon, up to the cecum, looking for polyps or suspicious growths that could be cancerous. If polyps are detected, they can be removed during the procedure.
During a colonoscopy, roughly 10% of the time, the colonoscope cannot be introduced all the way to the cecum, and therefore misses this region.This may occur due to adhesions, or other problems that make the colon tortuous or difficult to navigate.
Barium enemasmay be done but can be inaccurate. When this is the case, avirtual colonoscopymay be able to detect cancer of the cecum when other tests fail.
Other tests, such as acomputerized tomography (CT scan)of your abdomen, may also be done to explore the area of your cecum and to look for evidence of any spread of cancer.
Unfortunately, flexiblesigmoidoscopy, a test sometimes used to screen for colon cancer, only evaluates the left side of the colon and would miss cancers of the cecum and right colon.
Differential Diagnosis
The presence of the symptoms noted above does not mean you have cecum cancer. There are several different conditions that may have similar signs. Some of these include:
Cecal Volvulus
An uncommon condition, acecal volvulusoccurs when your cecum and ascending colon twist, causing an obstruction that blocks the passage of stool through your bowels. This torsion can lead to abdominal pain, swelling, cramps, nausea, and vomiting.
An Overview of Cecal Volvulus
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including disorders such asCrohn’s diseaseandulcerative colitis, can cause abdominal pain, swelling, and irregular bowel movements, among other symptoms. Not only can IBD mimic the symptoms of colon cancer, but it is also a risk factor for the development of colon cancer.
Acute Appendicitis
Because the appendix is connected to the cecum, the symptoms ofappendicitismirror those of cecum cancer, including nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain that is worst in the right lower abdomen.However, cecum cancer can lead to inflammation of the appendix, which could result in a diagnosis of cecum cancer earlier than it would otherwise be made.
An Overview of Appendicitis
During a colonoscopy, your healthcare provider may perform apolypectomy procedure. However, if a cancer is too large to be removed during a polypectomy, you may need additional surgery to remove it. The most common type of surgery for cancer of the cecum is called aright hemicolectomy. This surgery removes the right side of your colon and re-attaches the remaining portion to your small intestine.
Depending on the stage and grade of your cancer, your healthcare provider might also advise adjuvant treatments, includingchemotherapyandradiation.
The prognosis is somewhat poorer for cancers of the cecum than for other colon cancers, most likely related to the greater difficulty in diagnosing the disease in the early stages.
Diagnosis can be more difficult for cancers of the cecum because symptoms differ from colon cancers further along in the colon, and because it’s harder to visualize this area on screening tests. Compared with left-sided colon cancers, right-sided colon cancers, such as those of the cecum, have somewhat poorer survival rates.
Despite this prognosis, right-sided colon cancers are less likely to spread (metastasize) to the liver and lungs than left-sided colon cancers.
A Word From Verywell
If you have any signs or symptoms suggestive of cancer of the cecum, talk to your healthcare provider. Some of these symptoms can raise concerns about other serious conditions as well.
Fortunately, screening colonoscopies for colon cancer are saving lives, and hopefully will improve survival rates in the future.
Frequently Asked QuestionsThe function of the cecum is to aid in digestion. It is the first part of the colon (large intestine) to receive digested materials from the small intestine, and it pushes these materials into the ascending colon.Most polyps are not cancerous at diagnosis, but if they are not removed, they could become cancerous.Thus, yourrisk of cancerincreases if you havecolon polyps, and the more and bigger they are, the greater the possibility that you’ll develop cancer.Thelymph nodesand the abdominal wall are areas where cecum cancer, a right-sided colon cancer, may spread. In rare instances, it may alsometastasize(move) to theovariesor bones. Cancers on the right side of the colon are less likely to spread to the lungs and liver than left-sided colon cancers.Yes. If cecum carcinoma (a cancerous colon polyp) is found early enough and is completely removed viapolypectomy, the cancer can be cured.Polypectomy is a minimally invasive procedure to remove polyps from inside the colon.
The function of the cecum is to aid in digestion. It is the first part of the colon (large intestine) to receive digested materials from the small intestine, and it pushes these materials into the ascending colon.
Most polyps are not cancerous at diagnosis, but if they are not removed, they could become cancerous.Thus, yourrisk of cancerincreases if you havecolon polyps, and the more and bigger they are, the greater the possibility that you’ll develop cancer.
Thelymph nodesand the abdominal wall are areas where cecum cancer, a right-sided colon cancer, may spread. In rare instances, it may alsometastasize(move) to theovariesor bones. Cancers on the right side of the colon are less likely to spread to the lungs and liver than left-sided colon cancers.
Yes. If cecum carcinoma (a cancerous colon polyp) is found early enough and is completely removed viapolypectomy, the cancer can be cured.Polypectomy is a minimally invasive procedure to remove polyps from inside the colon.
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