What is metastases?

In cancer, metastases occur when the cells tear away from the primary tumor and are transported by the body to other organs and tissues where they attach and grow a new, secondary tumor. Metastatic cells are usually pushed into blood or lymphatic systems, so secondary tumors can occur far from the original cancer. The primary tumor can usually be treated in patients who are often cured. If tumor metasts occurred, the prognosis is much gloomy. Many cancer -related deaths are in fact due to secondary tumors resulting from metastases. A tumor that is benign, does not grow as aggressively or as quickly as malignant, does not attack the surrounding tissues and not metastasizes. Benign tumors are often harmless to individual health and are usually not classified as cancer. Malignant tumors or cancer are much more aggressive and can be more fatal. One common caravanist of malignant cancer is that it can go through the metastasis phases.

For tumor metastases, a number of complex steps must occur. Cancer scientists have found that angiogenesis is crucial for primary cancer metastasis. Angiogenesis is the development of a new system of blood vessels. Discussion about cancer occurs a new system of blood vessels in the tumor. Since the new blood vessels are inside the tumor itself, it is much easier for cancer cells to break and then be transported by the circulatory system to a new location.

Metastases are more common in some types of cancer than others. Lungs, breasts, large intestine, kidneys and skin melanomas are common places for the primary tumor to produce metastatic cells. There are also common areas in the body, where secondary tumors such as adrenal glands, bones, brain, and liver are more common. Some types of cancer also tend to spread to a certain area. For example, prostate cancer usually creates bones metastatic cancer and stomach cancer tend toEtastate to the ovaries.

When cancer is diagnosed in a patient, the physician can usually determine whether the tumor is primary or secondary based on the type of cells forming. The primary tumors consist of abnormal cells of the surrounding tissue. If the tumor is a secondary tumor, it consists of abnormal cells of the original tumor, not from the surrounding tissue where it exists. For example, lung cancer would consist only of abnormal lung cells if it was a primary tumor. If the tumor was actually due to skin melanoma metastases, cells in the lung tumor would actually be skin cells and not lung cells.