Metastatic disease

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Metastatic Disease

Metastatic disease (pronounced: meh-tuh-STAT-ik dih-ZEEZ) is a term used in medicine to describe a secondary cancer that has spread from the place where it first started (the primary site) to other parts of the body.

Etymology

The term "metastatic" comes from the Greek metastasis meaning "a removing or a setting over". It was first used in this context by the ancient Greek physician Galen to describe the spread of disease from one part of the body to another.

Related Terms

  • Primary cancer: The original cancer that has spread to create the metastatic disease.
  • Secondary cancer: Another term for metastatic disease, indicating that the cancer has spread from its original location.
  • Metastasis: The process by which cancer cells spread from the place where they first formed to another part of the body.
  • Oncology: The branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

Understanding Metastatic Disease

When cancer cells break away from a tumor, they can travel to other areas of the body through the bloodstream or the lymph system. If the cells travel through the bloodstream, they can reach every organ in the body, but they are more likely to metastasize to certain organs like the liver. If the cells travel through the lymph system, they can end up in nearby lymph nodes or they can spread to other organs.

The most common sites of metastasis are the bones, lungs, liver, and brain. The type of cancer determines the likelihood of it spreading to a particular organ. For example, prostate cancer often spreads to the bones, while lung cancer often spreads to the brain.

Metastatic disease can occur at any stage of cancer and is the most common cause of death in people with cancer. Treatment for metastatic disease depends on the type of primary cancer, the size and location of the metastasis, the patient's age and general health, and the types of treatments used previously.

See Also

External links

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