When cancer spreads, a person’s body is left in the hands of an aggressive disease. Oftentimes, the cancer cells travel through the lymph system to other organs. When the cancer cells break off from the main tumor, they enter the bloodstream and may travel to any part of the body. While many of the cells die once they arrive at their new destination, others may settle and begin to grow. The spread of cancer depends on the cancer cells’ ability to travel to the bloodstream and attach to the walls of a blood vessel.
When cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it still has the same name: metastasis. Even though the disease has spread to another organ, it still is considered prostate cancer. Cancer cells break away from the primary tumor and travel through the lymph system, blood, or lymph vessels to form a new tumor somewhere else in the body. This way, cancer can spread to any part of the body and cause symptoms in the other parts of the body.
The most common place where cancer cells spread are the lungs. This is because the lungs are the main pump for blood, and so are prime targets for runaway cancer cells. Other common destinations for cancer are the brain, liver, bones, and lymph nodes. Cancers that spread to the lungs are called metastatic lung cancer. Cancers can spread to any part of the lung, though they are most often found in the lower lobes.
Some researchers are focused on finding a better way to treat cancer metastases. By focusing on the extent of cancer spread, they believe that patients are in a better position to be treated with radiation therapy or surgical removal. This will increase the chances of a successful outcome and a longer life expectancy for the patient. The ASCO has fact sheets on metastasis and can give you more information on symptoms and treatment options.
The symptoms of cancer metastatic to lymph nodes can vary depending on the type of cancer. These may include headaches, vision problems, swelling of the legs, fatigue, and weight loss. Symptoms of cancer that has spread to lymph nodes may not occur for months or even years after the initial diagnosis. Cancers that start in the lymph nodes are called lymphomas. The cancer may be difficult to detect until the tumors have spread to other parts of the body.
Cancer metastasis may be a sign that the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body. Although the symptoms and signs of cancer metastasis are not the same in every case, they can be a sign of the disease. The cancer care team will first determine the type of cancer and where it has spread. The diagnostic imaging procedures used to stage the cancer will allow the team to determine how far the disease has spread. Biopsies and surgeries are other ways to determine if cancer has spread to other parts of the body. The more sites the cancer has spread to, the higher the cancer’s stage.
