Metastatic Cancer
Cancer is a progressive illness, originating from primary tumors located in specific tissues or organs. Tumor cells detach from the primary tumor and are carried to other sites in the body through the bloodstream or are spread through the lympathic system to neighboring or distant lymph nodes, creating a secondary or metastatic tumor. Almost all tumors have the potential to become metastasized to other areas of the body.
Since the ‘war on cancer’ was declared, an aggressive therapeutic campaign has been waged in order to develop new and novel methods of treating both the primary and metastatic tumors. Despite substantial research, metastatic cancer remains a life-threatening illness with a predictably fatal outcome.
For most common cancers, the primary tumor develops in tissues or organs that can be partially or completely removed, therefore survival rates are far greater. However metastatic cancer often presents in essential organs, making surgical treatment difficult. Common treatment options for metastatic cancer include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery or combinations of treatment options, which often have limited success. New treatments are being developed, including genetic medicine, with the potential to change outcome for metastatic cancer patients.
For more information on primary or metastatic cancer, please visit the National Cancer Institute at: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/metastatic