By Timothy Stevens Cancer is a diagnosis that scares everybody. When they hear that it has spread, or metastasized, most people believe th...

Cancer Metastasis Research Tells Us A Lot About How Cancerous Cells Work

By Timothy Stevens


Cancer is a diagnosis that scares everybody. When they hear that it has spread, or metastasized, most people believe their lives are going to be cut short. Not all cancers are fatal, and there has been much progress made in discovering why they occur and how to treat them. If you or a loved one have received this kind of diagnosis, you need to know what cancer metastasis research has uncovered to date.

The thing that makes this disease so serious is the ability of the diseased cells to move from place to place. They are not predictable either. Cells can move within the local area, fan out regionally, or travel to far parts of the body. They do this using the lymph nodes and bloodstream. When cells move into other areas cancers become stage four. These don't become new cancers. They are the metastasized result of the primary cancer.

Cells can metastasize in a number of ways. They might attack or attach themselves to adjacent normal tissue. The cells can move through the bloodstream in order to reach far parts of the body. They may stop moving at any time within the blood vessels and invade their walls. When cells do this, tumors begin to grow. They create a blood supply by making new blood vessels that feed the new tumor and allow it to keep growing.

Cancerous cells can spread anywhere, but researchers have discovered that certain cancers are more likely to travel to certain areas than others. They most commonly spread to the bones, the lungs, and the liver. Breast cancers for instance commonly spread to the lungs, brain, and liver. Melanoma may spread to the skin, muscles, brain, bones, lungs, and liver. Kidney cancers can attack the adrenal glands.

Once cancerous cells have moved to an organ, there will be symptoms. Shortness of breath can be an indication that cells have moved into the lungs. Bone fractures might mean they have invaded bone tissue. Cells that spread to the brain can cause headaches, dizziness, and seizures.

When diseased cells start traveling, it is hard to control them. Treatment will vary according to the primary cancer, the treatments a patient has already had, and the physical health of a patient. Doctors try to contain the cells and slow their growth. Relieving the symptoms is a primary concern. If the treatments are successful, the patient's life can be prolonged.

At some point a patient may be told that the cancerous cells can not be controlled. Someone given this information has several options. They can decide to continue receiving treatment in the hope the tumors will shrink or be contained. Patients can opt for palliative care that relieves symptoms and side effects.

Metastasized cancers aren't easy diagnoses to deliver or to hear. End of life decisions have to be made with this kind of news. Nobody knows what the future holds. If you find yourself in this situation, every day will become an unexpected gift.




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