In simple words, metastasis is the spread of cancer from the primary site (site of origin) to other adjacent and distant sites in the body. This happens when the condition is not detected early and treated. Once it spreads, it is very difficult to cure and the lifespan of the patient reduced significantly. One can only do so much to ensure they stay alive and comfortable. For this reason, cancer metastasis research has been intensified globally with the hope of finding a breakthrough to this killer disease.
There are different ways in which cancer spreads. For instance, it can invade the immediate surrounding tissues directly as it grows out of its locality. The cells can also be transported through blood to distant areas including the lungs, bone, liver and brain among others. Metastasis can also happen through the lymphatic system via the lymph nodes. Tumors that grow beyond their initial locality are typically classified as stage four in most cancer types.
Signs and symptoms suggestive of tumor spread are dependent on what organ the it spreads to. For instance, if it invades the brain, then the patient will complain of chronic headaches that fail to respond to pain medication. With bone invasion, victims tend to sustain fractures with the slightest of physical trauma. Spread to the liver maybe indicated by jaundice, which is A symptom characterised by the eyes becoming yellow. The doctor will do a thorough evaluation to rule out other possible conditions that tend to present the same way.
Surgical excision is usually the treatment of choice for isolated cancers whose margins can be defined. However, for tumours present in multiple places, it is impractical to go about excising each and every one of them. In fact, some of them may be missed in the process. The treatment of choice for metastatic tumors is chemotherapy which uses drugs to limit further growth.
The unfortunate thing about chemotherapy is its inability to distinguish the normal cells from the cancerous ones. This explains why patients on chemotherapeutic agents experience tremendous hair loss and often look sicker. The importance of concurrent psychological care can therefore not be overemphasized.
In that regard, ongoing research aims at coming up with a drug that only focuses on the abnormal cells without destruction of normal, functional cells. In one study, mice with metastatic breast tumors were treated with modified stem cells specifically meant to kill the abnormal cells. The study takes advantage of the immediate environment surrounding the tumor.
By influencing the tumor micro-environment, it was observed that the metastatic tumor responded by markedly reducing in size. The good news about such a study is that once it is proven to be effective, the formulation can be applied in the management of masses of metastatic disease survivors and not just a single person.
Some tumors are known to be familial while those that are not inherited are still a mystery. Both undergo certain genetic mutations that make them behave the way they do. Scientific research has taken time to study the DNA of abnormal cells in comparison to the normal human DNA. The ultimate goal is to help in disease prevention and early management of such diseases in the next generation.
There are different ways in which cancer spreads. For instance, it can invade the immediate surrounding tissues directly as it grows out of its locality. The cells can also be transported through blood to distant areas including the lungs, bone, liver and brain among others. Metastasis can also happen through the lymphatic system via the lymph nodes. Tumors that grow beyond their initial locality are typically classified as stage four in most cancer types.
Signs and symptoms suggestive of tumor spread are dependent on what organ the it spreads to. For instance, if it invades the brain, then the patient will complain of chronic headaches that fail to respond to pain medication. With bone invasion, victims tend to sustain fractures with the slightest of physical trauma. Spread to the liver maybe indicated by jaundice, which is A symptom characterised by the eyes becoming yellow. The doctor will do a thorough evaluation to rule out other possible conditions that tend to present the same way.
Surgical excision is usually the treatment of choice for isolated cancers whose margins can be defined. However, for tumours present in multiple places, it is impractical to go about excising each and every one of them. In fact, some of them may be missed in the process. The treatment of choice for metastatic tumors is chemotherapy which uses drugs to limit further growth.
The unfortunate thing about chemotherapy is its inability to distinguish the normal cells from the cancerous ones. This explains why patients on chemotherapeutic agents experience tremendous hair loss and often look sicker. The importance of concurrent psychological care can therefore not be overemphasized.
In that regard, ongoing research aims at coming up with a drug that only focuses on the abnormal cells without destruction of normal, functional cells. In one study, mice with metastatic breast tumors were treated with modified stem cells specifically meant to kill the abnormal cells. The study takes advantage of the immediate environment surrounding the tumor.
By influencing the tumor micro-environment, it was observed that the metastatic tumor responded by markedly reducing in size. The good news about such a study is that once it is proven to be effective, the formulation can be applied in the management of masses of metastatic disease survivors and not just a single person.
Some tumors are known to be familial while those that are not inherited are still a mystery. Both undergo certain genetic mutations that make them behave the way they do. Scientific research has taken time to study the DNA of abnormal cells in comparison to the normal human DNA. The ultimate goal is to help in disease prevention and early management of such diseases in the next generation.
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