Stomach cancer often presents with pleural metastasis, bone metastasis, liver metastasis, etc. How do cancer cells metastasize to these areas? Metastatic pathways of gastric cancer: 1. Direct dissemination Infiltrating gastric cancer can develop directly along the mucosa or plasma membrane to the stomach wall, esophagus or duodenum. Once the cancer invades the plasma membrane, it is easy to infiltrate into the surrounding adjacent organs or tissues such as liver, pancreas, spleen, transverse colon, jejunum, diaphragm, greater omentum and abdominal wall. When cancer cells are shed, they can also be implanted in the abdominal cavity, pelvis, ovaries and rectal bladder sockets. Metastasis to the liver will lead to liver enlargement, abdominal distension, pain in the liver area and loss of appetite, etc. In the late stage, jaundice and ascites may appear. 2.Lymph node metastasis accounts for 70% of gastric cancer metastasis. Lower gastric cancer often metastasizes to lymph nodes such as subpyloric, subgastric and para-abdominal artery, while upper cancer often metastasizes to lymph nodes such as parapancreatic, para-pancreatic and supragastric. Advanced cancer may metastasize to periaortic and supra-diaphragmatic lymph nodes. Since the abdominal lymph nodes are in direct communication with the thoracic duct, it may metastasize to the left supraclavicular lymph node. 3.Bloodstream metastasis Cancer cells can be found in peripheral blood of some patients, which can be metastasized to liver through portal vein, and can reach lung, bone, kidney, brain, meninges, spleen, skin, etc. The symptoms of bone metastasis of lung cancer include bone pain, low back pain, lower limb pain or shoulder pain. Brain metastasis is mainly manifested as meningeal and brain essence metastasis, headache and mental status change are common symptoms, and brain dysfunction and visual impairment may occur. If the spinal membrane is invaded, back pain, sensory disorders, bladder dysfunction and difficulty in urination may occur. 4. Intra-abdominal implantation: cancer cells are shed into the abdominal cavity and implanted in the intestinal wall and pelvic cavity For patients with gastric cancer who are still in good health and have multiple metastases throughout the body, radiotherapy can be used for treatment, which can effectively inhibit the primary cancer and metastatic cancer foci, control the cancer in time and prevent the metastasis of cancer cells from continuing to occur. For patients with poor physical condition and unable to tolerate treatment measures such as surgery and radiotherapy, conservative treatment is the main treatment.