Throughout the past few months I have ran into several individuals who has been battling
cancer. A few of the individuals told me stories of how they developed cancer/tumors in
one area of their body and it ended up in another area of their body. Most of us refer to this
process as “Cancers spreading”, however the correct term for this process is known as
“Metastatic Cancer”. Metastatic cancer is cancer that has spread from the place where it
first started to another place in the body. A tumor formed by metastatic cancer cells is
called a metastatic tumor or a metastasis. The process by which cancer cells spread to
other parts of the body is also called metastasis.
Most of the time someone’s original cancer is discovered when a metastatic tumor causes
symptoms. For example, a man whose prostate cancer has spread to the bones in his pelvis
may have lower back pains as before he experiences any symptoms from the original
tumor in his prostate. It is known that all cancers including cancers of the blood and
lymphatic system can form metastatic tumors. It is rare but there are reported cases of this
issue. Cancer can spread all different types of ways. For example breast cancer is known to
spread from your breast into your bones, brain, liver, or lungs. Once it begins to spread we
may not always receive symptoms.
Cancer normally spreads throughout the process of six different steps. The steps are known
as: Local invasion where the cancer invades nearby normal tissues. Intravasation when
