Abstract
A 33-year-old pregnant woman had constipation, abdominal pain and fullness since the 7th week of pregnancy, but she was diagnosed as hyperemesis gravidarum. After her delivery on the 34th week of pregnancy, she was seen at the hospital because of persisting symptoms. Abdominal swelling, hepatomegaly and ascites were noted. As a result of various examination, ileus due to a sigmoid colon-cancer was diagnosed, and sigmoidectomy was performed after 10 days of delivery. Opertive diagnosis was sigmoid colon cancer, which was circ, 3-type, 3.0×3.0cm size, SE, P0, H3, M(-), N2(+), Stage 4. Histological diagnosis was well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. Postoperative chemotherapy was done to the metastasis of the liver with reservoir, but she died of liver failure 3 months after of the surgery.
Colorectal cancer in pregnancy is rare. Only 28 cases have been reported in the Japanese literature, and generally their prognoses were poor. Even if the patient with suspected colorectal cancer is a pregnant woman, appropriate examination including occult blood and ultrasonography which have no effects on the fatus sould be aggressively tried.
