What is meant by the term metastasis?
What is meant by the term metastasis?
(meh-TAS-tuh-sis) The spread of cancer cells from the place where they first formed to another part of the body. In metastasis, cancer cells break away from the original (primary) tumor, travel through the blood or lymph system, and form a new tumor in other organs or tissues of the body.
How can you prevent metastasis?
Another strategy to prevent metastasis is by blocking the development of pre-metastatic niches or targeting the cells and molecules that help disseminated tumor cells survive and grow.
What is a synonym of metastasize?
To develop, increase or grow rapidly. spread. grow. develop.
What are the symptoms of metastasis?
Some common signs of metastatic cancer include:
- pain and fractures, when cancer has spread to the bone.
- headache, seizures, or dizziness, when cancer has spread to the brain.
- shortness of breath, when cancer has spread to the lung.
- jaundice or swelling in the belly, when cancer has spread to the liver.
Can metastasis be stopped?
Often, the goal of treating metastatic cancer is to control it by stopping or slowing its growth. Some people can live for years with metastatic cancer that is well controlled. Other treatments may improve the quality of life by relieving symptoms. This type of care is called palliative care.
Why is it hard to treat metastasis?
Metastatic cancer causes most cancer deaths, but exactly why it is so difficult to treat is not precisely understood. Metastatic tumors often acquire additional genetic changes from those in the primary tumors that spawned them, and these genetic characteristics may cause them to resist standard treatments.
What is malignancy synonym?
In this page you can discover 35 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for malignancy, like: fatality, virulence, hatred, malice, despitefulness, ill will, malevolence, maliciousness, malignity, meanness and nastiness.
What organ is the most common site of metastasis?
The three most common sites of tumor metastasis are the lungs, liver and bone marrow — all essential organs which must function for a person to survive.
Can metastasis be cured?
In some situations, metastatic cancer can be cured, but most commonly, treatment does not cure the cancer. But doctors can treat it to slow its growth and reduce symptoms. It is possible to live for many months or years with certain types of cancer, even after the development of metastatic disease.
What is the most common site of metastasis?
Where Cancer Spreads
| Cancer Type | Main Sites of Metastasis |
|---|---|
| Breast | Bone, brain, liver, lung |
| Colon | Liver, lung, peritoneum |
| Kidney | Adrenal gland, bone, brain, liver, lung |
| Lung | Adrenal gland, bone, brain, liver, other lung |