A 68-year-old man presents to his primary care physician for a routine physical examination. The patient‟s medical history is significant for hypertension. The patient is found to have guaiac-positive stools and is subsequently referred for colonoscopy. Colonoscopy reveals a “golf ball”-size, near-obstructing tumor in the descending colon, not admitting the scope. The biopsy is positive for adenocarcinoma of the colon. Which of the following is the next step in the management of this patient?

Related MCQs

• A 63-year-old man is evaluated because of a several-month history of increasing fatigue and some vague upper abdominal discomfort. His medical history includes gastroesophageal reflux disease, coronary artery disease, and clinical depression, all of which are well controlled with medications. The patient has been working full time. On physical examination, he has mild hepatomegaly. His hemoglobin is 12.2 g/dL, serum alkaline phosphatase level 280 U/L, and serum aspartate aminotransferase level 65 U/L. CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis shows multiple hepatic lesions ranging in size from 1 cm to 4 cm; mesenteric, para-aortic, and paracaval lymphadenopathy, and a colonic mass at the splenic flexure. Colonoscopy reveals a nonobstructing, non bleeding lesion; biopsy shows it to be poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Fine- needle aspiration of one of the liver lesions confirms the presence of malignant cells consistent with a primary colon cancer. What is the most appropriate next step in
• A 65-year-old man has a routine screening examination, and his serum prostate- specific antigen (PSA) level is found to be 6.7 ng/mL. Digital rectal examination reveals a mildly enlarged prostate gland, but no discrete nodules. One year ago, his PSA was 2.1 ng/mL. The patient is referred to a urologist who performs a biopsy of the gland. Biopsy specimen shows adenocarcinoma of the prostate with a Gleason score of 9. Which of the following best describes his prognosis on the basis of his Gleason score?
• A 57-year-old man is found to have a rectal mass 3 cm from the anal verge on digital rectal examination. Subsequent colonoscopy and biopsy confirm rectal adenocarcinoma. EUS examination demonstrates penetration of the tumor into, but not through, the muscularis propria, but shows significant perirectal lymph nodes. CT scan of chest/abdomen/pelvis demonstrates no metastases. The patient is staged as T2N1M0. What procedure should be attempted to remove the primary lesion in this patient?
• A 72-year-old man is evaluated because of constipation, abdominal pain, and distention that have worsened over the past week. Two years ago, he was diagnosed with stage III rectal cancer (primary tumor and renal involvement) and underwent low anterior resection. Chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin followed, and pelvic radiation was given with concurrent infusion of 5-fluorouracil. He has been having regular bowel movements, and results of his most recent colonoscopy (1 year ago) were unremarkable. On physical examination, his pulse rate is 100/min. He has orthostatic hypotension, a slightly distended abdomen with hyperactive bowel sounds, and some guarding to deep palpation in the left lower quadrant. Plain radiograph of the abdomen shows distended loops of small bowel, with no stool in the distal colon or rectum. The patient is hospitalized for bowel rest and intravenous hydration. What is the next step in this patient‟s management?
• A 68-year-old woman is evaluated because of rectal bleeding that began recently and a sense of fullness in the rectum. Flexible sigmoidoscopy shows a mass 11 cm from the anus, and biopsy reveals adenocarcinoma. The patient is referred to a colorectal surgeon, and a low anterior resection is performed. The primary tumor, a 4-cm moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, penetrates the bowel wall. No lymph nodes are involved. What is the most appropriate next step in this patient‟s management?
• A 70-year-old man with an 80-pack-year smoking history is evaluated because of a chronic cough of 6 months duration. Chest radiograph shows a 3-cm mass in the left perihilar region, and bronchoscopic biopsy confirms poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. There are no significant findings on physical examination, and all blood studies are normal. Bone scan and CT scan of the head are normal, but CT scans of the chest and abdomen show the mass and two 1-cm nodules in the right lobe of the liver. Intravenous contrast perfusion of the two nodules during the CT scan is not suspicious for hemangioma. Positron emission tomography scan shows distinct uptake in the left perihilar mass but only faint focal activity in the right lobe of the liver.Pulmonary function tests show mild obstructive disease. What is the best next step in this patient‟s management?
• A 65-year-old woman with no significant past medical history presents to the emergency department with a 2-day history of left lower quadrant abdominal pain. The patient denies nausea and vomiting, although she claims decreased oral intake. She also reports a low-grade fever and mild diarrhea. She describes a milder episode several years ago, which resolved on its own. On physical examination, the patient is found to have left lower quadrant tenderness with some mild guarding, but no rebound. She is hemodynamically stable, and her heart rate is 82 per minute. In the initial management of this patient, which of the following is the most sensitive diagnostic test?
• A 29-year-old man was diagnosed with stage II (that is, spread from the primary tumor to retroperitoneal lymph nodes) nonseminomatous germ cell tumor 1 year ago. Treatment included orchiectomy and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. He now presents with an elevated level of β-human chorionic gonadotropin hormone and multiple pulmonary lesions ranging in size from 0.61 to 3.22 cm. Needle biopsy specimen of the largest lesion reveals a germ cell tumor consistent with the initial diagnosis. He is asymptomatic. What is the best treatment for this patient?
• A 71-year-old man with mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and mild hypertension is evaluated during an annual routine visit. Review of systems is notable for intermittent cough, increasing dyspnea on exertion, a 2.3-kg (5 Ib) weight loss, and fatigue. The patient takes aspirin, 81 mg/d, and hydrochlorothiazide, 50 mg/d orally. He smoked one pack of cigarettes per day for 49 years but quit smoking 2 years ago. On physical examination, distant breath sounds are audible in both lungs and there are scattered rhonchi. Chest radiograph shows a perihilar mass. Abnormal laboratory results include hemoglobin of 12.5 g/dL and a serum sodium of 127 meq/L. Endobronchial biopsy reveals small-cell lung cancer. Further staging studies suggest that the disease is limited-stage. What is the most appropriate treatment for this patient‟s hyponatremia?
• For previous patients, after the appropriate evaluation, the patient undergoes surgery. No intraoperative evidence of metastases is identified. Postoperatively, the pathology report reveals that the tumor is an adenocarcinoma invading into the pericolonic fat, with 2 involved lymph nodes. After the patient recovers from surgery, which of the following is the most appropriate next step in his management?