Metastatic cancer
Metastatic Cancer
Metastatic cancer (pronounced: meh-tuh-STA-tik KAN-ser) is a type of cancer that has spread from the place where it first started to another place in the body. The process by which cancer cells spread to other parts of the body is called metastasis.
Etymology
The term "metastatic" is derived from the Greek word "metastasis" which means "displacement". In the context of cancer, it refers to the displacement of cancer cells from their original location to other parts of the body.
Related Terms
- Primary cancer: The original cancer where the metastatic cancer cells originated from.
- Secondary cancer: Another term for metastatic cancer, referring to the new locations where the cancer cells have spread.
- Carcinoma: A type of cancer that starts in cells that make up the skin or the tissue lining organs.
- Sarcoma: A type of cancer that starts in cells of bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue.
- Lymphoma and Leukemia: These two types of cancer start in the cells of the immune system.
- Central nervous system cancers: Cancers that start in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord.
Understanding Metastatic Cancer
Metastatic cancer has the same name as the primary cancer. For example, breast cancer that spreads to the lung is called metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer. It is treated as breast cancer, not lung cancer. Doctors call the new tumor "distant" or metastatic disease.
This is different from a local recurrence, which is when cancer grows back in the same place where it first started. Most metastatic cancers are not curable with current treatments, but they can be controlled for some time. The aim of treatment is to control and slow down the spread of the cancer, relieve symptoms and give you the best quality of life for as long as possible.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Metastatic cancer
- Wikipedia's article - Metastatic cancer
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