Emergency Treatment of Transverse Colon Cancer

Abstract

This chapter deals with the emergency treatment of transverse colon cancer. The main complications that classify transverse colon cancer in an emergency setting are obstruction, perforation accompanied by localized or generalized peritonitis, and hemorrhage which may be occult or cataclysmic with hemorrhagic shock. We present the technical principles of radical surgical resection using embryological, anatomical, and oncological concepts. In this chapter we also discuss the principles of lymphadenectomy associated with complete excision of the mesocolon with high vascular ligation, in particular with T3 or T4 cancers requiring D2/D3 lymphadenectomy. The use of infrapyloric, gastro-epiploic, and prepancreatic lymphadenectomy is recommended due to the frequent metastases in these regional lymph nodes.