What is metastasis in cancer? Malignant tumor and metastases

Cancer is called the king of disease. In terms of the number of deaths, he took the 2nd place in world statistics. People are afraid of the diagnosis of "cancer", fall into despair at the word "metastases". But it is not all that bad. Modern medicine has long refuted the view that the disease is incurable. What is "cancer" and what is metastasis in cancer? Let's understand.

Is cancer a malignant tumor?

Often, every malignant tumor is considered cancer. This name was introduced into medicine by Hippocrates, to whom the tumor looks like a crab ("karkinos" in Greek). Hence, carcinoma, or cancer. To understand what metastases are in cancer, let's try to explain simply and easily what is cancer.

Imagine that in your body from some evil, an ordinary good cell suddenly turned into a monster with a round rather than elongated body, several cores and several other mutations. This monster began to share uncontrollably, producing such monsters. So the primary tumor turned out. Good cells, in contact with neighbors and "seeing" that there are few places, stop the division. This is called contact braking. Our monster does not react to it. His progeny presses on the neighbors, causing negative changes in them. Moreover, the monster has become almost immortal, since the programmed nature of the cell's death (or apoptosis) is now extremely poorly expressed. For their further successful growth, monster cells stimulate the development of new blood vessels in the tumor, and for their protection they produce special toxins that suppress the antitumor immunity present in the body. They also know how to deceive the immune system and escape from T-killer cells.

What is "metastasis"?

With a tumor it is clear. It remains to add that the monster cells can appear in the human body anywhere, in any organ. They do not spare either children or adults, but more often they hit those who are over 50. We will try to understand what metastases are in cancer. The family of monsters grows and gradually spreads, penetrating into neighboring organs (regional metastases). Moreover, they need to capture the entire body, for which the mutant cells break away from their maternal formation, enter the blood and / or lymph and are carried with their current through the patient's body (distant metastases).

In the first case they are called hematogenous, and in the second lymphogenous. At a new location, the mutant cells become fixed, and everything repeats. This process in medicine is called metastasis. Some experts believe that it begins immediately after the onset of the primary tumor, others - that only after the transition of the disease in later stages. Still others believe that metastasis begins immediately, but not always immediately develops. We are talking about the so-called dormant metastases, the appearance of which affects partial cancer treatment.

Stages of cancer

There is no single classification of cancer stages, but most specialists adhere to the TNM system. Here the stages are distinguished:

• That - a tumor at clinical inspection is not defined or determined yet.
• Tis - without metastases, that is, sitting on the spot.
• T1 is almost the same as the previous stage. At this stage, treatment is usually successful. The only problem is that the cancer in the first stage can only be detected by accident or with special examinations.
• T2 - the cancer gave metastases, but for the time being regional. The forecast here is quite favorable, although more complex.
• T3 - does not differ much from T2. Some experts believe that at this stage, apart from regional, there are single remote metastases. Symptoms at the 3rd stage can be blurred, and pain can be absent, which makes diagnosis difficult. In general, the third stage of cancer, like any other, is determined conditionally. For each organ there are its own criteria and its clinical picture.
• T4 is the last stage in which metastases spread both along neighboring and distant organs. Patients at the same time experiencing severe pain, weakness, lose weight. As a rule, lethal outcome causes cancer of the 4th degree with metastases. How many live such patients, it is impossible to say exactly. On the photo, placed below, cancer metastasis markers are shown.

Stages of metastases

Metastases have their own gradation, denoted by the letter M. Only remote formations are considered here.

• Mx - the presence of metastases is unknown, since no studies have been performed;
• Mo - distant tumor formations were not found;
• M1 - the presence of distant metastases was detected.

Thus, the expression "grade 4 metastases" implies the 4th degree of cancer.

These secondary tumor formations can occur in any organ, but most often affect the liver, brain, lungs, bone tissue and fatty tissue. With cancer of the stomach, ovaries, pancreas, intestines and uterus, metastases are also possible in the peritoneum.

What is the main danger of cancer?

The answer to the question about what metastases are in cancer will not be complete, if not to say that it is not so much a primary tumor that is fatal, as its regional, and especially remote, secondary foci. This condition is called metastatic cancer. He, as a rule, manifests significant pain, which is often the main reason for the patient to go to the doctor. This cancer is dangerous, mainly because of the difficulty of detecting the localization of all metastases, which leads to incomplete treatment through surgical intervention and radiation therapy. Only chemotherapy (use of medicines), hormone and immunotherapy affect all metastases at once, but, unfortunately, often such treatment is not enough.

Forecasts

They directly depend on the organ in which metastases are found. How much remains to live patient, also depends on the general condition of the body, from the location and stage of the initial tumor, from the treatment that can be carried out. If you do not do anything, a person's life is calculated in months, from 1 to 6. If you make every effort, have a positive attitude and a great desire to defeat the disease, life expectancy increases at times. So, with multifaceted treatment of metastases in the lungs, patients live up to 10 years, and in the liver - up to 5 years. The most bad are metastases in the brain. This is due to the specific nature of the organ and the difficulties in carrying out many known to date methods of treatment. The most favorable prognosis for this disease is to live about 2 years. This is possible with surgical intervention with subsequent irradiation and complex treatment.

Can I avoid cancer?

This question interests, perhaps, everyone. Research Institute of Oncology in Russia and other countries are conducting thousands of studies to reveal the causes of cell mutations. To the main cancer-causing in any organ, scientists include the consumption of foods containing carcinogens, any kind of radiation (radiation, ultraviolet and others), certain types of viruses (eg, papilloma), genetic predisposition, frequent stresses and a wrong lifestyle. There are also specific factors. Thus, it is noted that lung cancer more often affects smokers than nonsmokers, and liver and stomach cancer - abusing alcohol. Therefore, excluding these factors from our lives, we reduce the risk of the disease. But even in the case of an unfavorable diagnosis, you can not succumb to despair. Nowadays even the third stage of cancer is treated quite successfully. The main thing is not to make a mistake with the diagnosis.

Diagnostics

One of the unpleasant features of a malignant tumor lies in the fact that in the early stages it almost never shows any symptoms. The exception is skin cancer and some other organs, in which tumor formations can be seen visually. Another feature is that the symptoms of cancer and other diseases are similar. It:

• fast fatiguability;
• Loss in weight;
• lack of appetite;
• Suddenly appeared seals and swelling;
• Increased sweating;
• anemia.

If such symptoms occur, you need to consult an oncologist, who will conduct a clinical examination (palpation of questionable areas, X-rays, anamnesis). For a more accurate diagnosis, it is advisable to enter a cancer center where a number of studies are performed: X-ray, MRI, computed tomography, endoscopy, biochemical blood tests and analyzes with oncomarkers, biopsy.

Symptoms of metastases may include:

• Enlarged lymph nodes;
• Cough with lung metastasis;
• Increased liver;
• With metastases in bone tissues - pain in the limbs, frequent fractures;
• In the brain - various neurological problems, visual impairment, coordination of movements, hearing, speech, epileptic seizures.

Diagnosis is the same as for primary tumors.

Treatment

Most cancer patients are treated at their place of residence. However, if possible, it is desirable to check the diagnosis in the federal oncology center, where the most modern equipment is available, and top-level specialists work according to the latest technologies. In Moscow it is the Oncology Center named after Blokhin and the Oncological Institute named after Herzen. Any Russian citizen can get there, having previously taken a referral from his doctor and signed up for an appointment. In St. Petersburg, this is the Petrov Oncology Research Institute.

In these centers, surgical removal of the tumor is performed, if possible, and the following therapies are performed:

• Radiation (radiosurgery);
• Chemotherapy;
• Immune;
• Gene (quite effective treatment by affecting the genetic apparatus of the patient).