CASE REPORT article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Gastrointestinal Cancers: Gastric and Esophageal Cancers
This article is part of the Research TopicReal-World Clinical and Translational Research in Gastrointestinal CancersView all 22 articles
A Case Report: Nursing Strategies for Colon Cancer Surgery in Third-Trimester Pregnancy
Provisionally accepted
- Affiliated Hospital and Clinical Medical College of Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
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Background: Colorectal cancer during pregnancy is rare and poses significant challenges for maternal and fetal care. Postoperative nursing interventions are essential to optimize recovery and prevent complications. Case Presentation: A 33-year-old primigravida (G1P0) at 29⁵ weeks’ gestation presented with abdominal distension, lower back pain, anorexia, and fatigue. Imaging and laboratory tests revealed right ascending colon wall thickening, hepatic lesions, fecal occult blood positivity, elevated AFP (162.4 IU/mL) and CA125 (64.5 U/mL), and severe anemia. She underwent cesarean section with right hemicolectomy, D3 lymph node dissection, and partial hepatectomy. Postoperative nursing care included pain management via patient-controlled analgesia, parenteral and oral nutrition, fluid and electrolyte monitoring, drainage tube care, early mobilization, fever surveillance, deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis, psychological support, and maternal-neonatal separation management. Outcome: The patient recovered progressively without subjective complaints. No incision infection, vaginal fluid leakage, or mastitis occurred. The surgical incision healed with Grade A outcome, and she was discharged in stable condition. Conclusion: This case demonstrates the effectiveness of integrated, evidence-based postoperative nursing strategies in managing colorectal cancer during late pregnancy, providing guidance for similar complex cases.
Keywords: case report, Main nursing diagnosis, colorectal cancer, Pregnancy, intervention
Received: 11 Aug 2025; Accepted: 14 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zen, Chen, Luo and Song. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Shiping Zen, zengshipingzt@163.com
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