Added: 02/13/2006 |
Metastasis and Cancer - What to Know to Live a Longer LifeCancer cells are able to migrate to almost all parts of human body. Mostly it depends on types of cancer and its extent and cancer site. The mechanism of metastasis of cancer looks this way. Cancer cells migrate throughout human body and stop when they have found home site. It should be noted that when one has metastasis and cancer in lungs derived from breast cancer, secondary tumor contains cancer cells from breast. In such case original tumor and cancer are called primary, metastatic cancer and tumor - secondary. Metastasis and cancer are interrelated phenomena. Sometimes a primary cancer and metastasis are found simultaneously, but following symptoms of metastatic cancer.
The following part of human body and organs are more likely to be affected by metastatic cancer: liver, breast, lungs, brain, bones. However, the blood system is not affected by cancer cells and serves just as means of transportation to them. Metastasis to tissues and organs situated near the primary cancer site is usually called regional disease. If cancer spreads to organs and tissues far from primary cancer site and forms secondary tumors and metastasis there, or disease progresses into metastasis and cancer extends, such cancer is called metastatic cancer. The development of a new secondary tumor nourishes itself with development of a new blood supply for the tumor, which is called angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is defined as the process in which a tumor makes up its own blood supply by releasing a substance called vascular endothelial growth factor.
When compared, metastasis and cancer may be quite different in extent. Metastatic cancer can be even more serious than the primary cancer itself. The following types of metastasis of cancer exist: lymphogenous metastasis (the type of cancer when cancer cells invade blood system and float to other organs and tissues), metastasis in lymthic circulation (when lymphatic system is used as a mean of spread), destructive metastasis (the type when cancer cells go on growing and metastasize into adjoining organs) and contact metastasis (when cancer cells contact adjoining organs and spread to the adjoining tissue).
The most difficult thing to deal with is micrometastasis. Micrometastasis is too little to be seen and detected. If it consists of just a group of individual cells there's no scan to detect them in details. There are a number of certain blood tests that help detecting it, but only for certain types of secondary tumors.
Treatment of metastasis and primary cancer may be carried out either simultaneously or separately. Depending on the type of cancer, its stage, cancer site, different ways of treatment are being applied now. Surgery is used only in the most extreme cases when large secondary tumors cause pain. Chemotherapy is frequently used in treatment of micrometastasis. For treatment of metastatic cancer of bones and brain radiotherapy proved the most affective. Nowadays newer methods of treatment are being tested, worked out and applied. These are gene therapy, isolated perfusion, and hyperthermia.
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