Table 3.

Summary table of local, nodal and haematogenous spread in colorectal cancer

Local spread	•Invasion through the bowel wall into the peri-colonic fat and adjacent structures
Lymph node spread	•Follows the vascular distribution of vessels in mesocolon;
	•Ascending mesocolon: nodes along the ileocolic vessels and right colic vessel;
	•Transverse mesocolon: nodes along the middle colic vessels;
	•Sigmoid and descending mesocolon: nodes along the inferior mesenteric vein;
	•Regional lymph nodes for rectal cancers include: mesorectal, sigmoid mesenteric, inferior mesenteric, lateral sacral, presacral, internal iliac, sacral promontory, superior rectal, middle rectal and inferior rectal
Haematogenous spread	•Liver (via the portal vein) > lung, adrenal glands, bones
Notes	•In rectal cancers that have perforated the peritoneum, transcoelomic spread favours the lower right small bowel mesentery and the pouch of Douglas