Xu JL, Ge ZW, Wu CW, Wang YH, Mao JD. Multidisciplinary care for colorectal cancer brain metastases with headache as initial symptom: A case report and literature review. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; 18(8): 119679 [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.119679]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jia-Ding Mao, PhD, Professor, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical University, No. 2 Zheshan West Road, Wuhu 241000, Anhui Province, China. 20111575@wnmc.edu.cn
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
case-report
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Xu JL, Ge ZW, Wu CW, Wang YH, Mao JD. Multidisciplinary care for colorectal cancer brain metastases with headache as initial symptom: A case report and literature review. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; 18(8): 119679 [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.119679]
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Aug 15, 2026; 18(8): 119679 Published online Aug 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.119679
Multidisciplinary care for colorectal cancer brain metastases with headache as initial symptom: A case report and literature review
Jia-Lu Xu, Zhen-Wei Ge, Chang-Wei Wu, Yu-Hao Wang, Jia-Ding Mao
Jia-Lu Xu, Zhen-Wei Ge, Chang-Wei Wu, Yu-Hao Wang, Jia-Ding Mao, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical University, Wuhu 241000, Anhui Province, China
Co-first authors: Jia-Lu Xu and Zhen-Wei Ge.
Author contributions: Xu JL and Ge ZW conceptualized and drafted the manuscript, and performed its full revision, and they contributed equally to this article as co-first authors; Wu CW was responsible for picture collection; Wang YH revised the final manuscript; and all authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
AI contribution statement: AI tools were used solely for linguistic refinement. No AI tool was involved in the generation of research data, interpretation of results, or formulation of conclusions. All AI-generated outputs were critically reviewed and revised by the authors.
Supported by Provincial Financial Support Project/Key Project of Health Commission of Anhui Province, No. AHWJ2023A10136; and the Anhui Provincial Clinical Medical Research Transformation Project, No. 202527c10020099.
Informed consent statement: Informed verbal consent was obtained from the patient's families for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Jia-Ding Mao, PhD, Professor, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical University, No. 2 Zheshan West Road, Wuhu 241000, Anhui Province, China. 20111575@wnmc.edu.cn
Received: February 3, 2026 Revised: March 14, 2026 Accepted: May 9, 2026 Published online: August 15, 2026 Processing time: 181 Days and 16.2 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Colorectal cancer (CRC) typically manifests initially with gastrointestinal symptoms. The incidence of brain metastasis from CRC is extremely low, and most cases are accompanied by lung or liver metastases. Isolated brain metastasis from CRC presenting with headache as the initial symptom is relatively rare, with few reported cases, and is thus prone to being overlooked and underdiagnosed. The prognosis of CRC with brain metastasis is poor, and comprehensive multidisciplinary treatment is crucial.
CASE SUMMARY
This article reports the case of a 71-year-old woman with a 20-day history of headache. Imaging examinations revealed a lesion in the right frontal lobe. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography further identified the primary intestinal lesion, with no evidence of extracranial metastases. Based on imaging and pathological findings, the patient was ultimately diagnosed with brain metastasis from CRC. Treatment involved surgical resection of the brain metastasis, followed by radiotherapy to the frontal lobe tumor bed and a newly developed cerebellar metastasis, with subsequent systemic chemotherapy after radiotherapy. This was followed by laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer. The patient is currently recovering well, demonstrating the effectiveness of the multidisciplinary treatment strategy and providing insights into the comprehensive management of similar cases.
CONCLUSION
For unexplained intracranial masses, evaluation for CRC metastasis, multidisciplinary management, and regular follow-up are crucial.
Core Tip: Given the rarity of brain metastasis from colorectal cancer in the absence of extracranial spread or typical gastrointestinal symptoms, few such cases have been reported, and clinicians have limited diagnostic and therapeutic experience with this condition. This article presents a case of colorectal cancer brain metastasis and summarizes the diagnostic challenges and multidisciplinary treatment strategy for this disease.
