Saturday, June 23, 2018

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.

Cancerous cells spread in a variety of ways. They may grow into, or attack normal tissue that is nearby. Cells may travel through the bloodstream to get to other parts of the body. The cells can stop anywhere in the blood vessels, invade the walls, and grow into small tumors. This creates new blood vessels and a blood supply that makes its possible for the new tumors 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.

There are physical signs that cancerous cells have metastasized. When they have traveled to the lungs, patients often experience shortness of breath. Cancerous cells in the bones increase the chances that bones will fracture. Cells that have spread to the brain can cause seizures, headaches, and dizziness.

Controlling metastasized cells is difficult. Treatments will vary depending on the overall health of the patient, the kind of primary cancer, and what prior treatments the patient has received. The best case scenario is that the cell movement will be stopped and the growth of new cells retarded. Relieving the discomfort of symptoms is a paramount concern. If the treatments are successful, they may prolong the life of a patient.

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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