The treatment of metastases can vary with the original cancer and the region to which it has spread.
Cancer that has spread in this way is called metastatic cancer.
Metastatic cancer is named based on the site where the cancer began.
In staging cancers, a tumor that has metastasized is usually considered stage 4.
Yet these tumors do not spread to other regions of the body.
Why Do Cancers Spread?
Normal cells do not spread beyond the area where they belong.
For example, lung cells do not travel to the heart even though they are nearby.
How Do Cancers Metastasize (Spread)?
One necessity is the formation of new blood vessels to feed the new tumor, a process calledangiogenesis.
Where do Cancers Spread?
Metastatic cancer cannot usually be cured, but itistreatable.
For some people, it is possible to live with metastatic cancer for months or even years.
Some areas of metastases are, however, more difficult to treat than others.
Seyfried TN, Huysentruyt LC.On the origin of cancer metastasis.Crit Rev Oncog.
2013;18(1-2):4373.
National Cancer Institute.Metastatic cancer: when cancer spreads.
National Cancer Institute.Metastatic cancer research.
2018;35(9):177.
Otake S, Goto T.Stereotactic radiotherapy for oligometastasis.Cancers (Basel).
2019;11(2):133. doi:10.3390/cancers11020133
American Cancer Society.What are advanced and metastatic cancers?
203(6):570-82.
