Explaining metastatic cancer
Cancer survival rates are
on the rise, and that rise
can be credited to a host
of factors. Advancements
in cancer research and treatment
have played a big role in
rising survival rates, as have
the efforts of various organizations
to promote cancer prevention
and raise awareness
about the disease.
The World Health Organization
notes that between
30 and 50 percent
of cancers can currently
be prevented by avoiding
certain risk factors and
implementing evidencebased
prevention strategies.
However, people
can be vulnerable to cancer
if they do not pay attention to
their bodies or make an effort
to protect themselves against
certain risk factors for cancer.
In such instances, cancer may
already have spread to other
parts of their bodies, or metastasized,
before they are even
diagnosed, greatly reducing
their likelihood of surviving
the disease.
Cancer that spreads to distant
COURIER L 52 IFE, OCT. 11-17, 2019
parts of the body is known
as metastatic cancer and is
often referred to as “stage IV
cancer.” According to the National
Cancer Institute, when
observed under a microscope,
metastatic cancer cells feature
traits like that of the primary
cancer and do not mimic the
cells in the part of the
body where the cancer
is found. That is how
doctors can tell that
the cancer is metastatic
cancer and has spread
from another part of
the body.
When doctors
diagnose metastatic
cancer, they will
refer to it with the same name
as the primary cancer regardless
of where the metastatic
cancer was discovered. For example,
the Institute notes that
breast cancer that has spread
to the lungs will not be referred
to as lung cancer, but metastatic
breast cancer. In addition,
when treating the disease in
this example, doctors will treat
the cancer as stage IV breast
cancer, not as lung cancer.
Cancer that spreads to distant parts of the body is known as metastatic cancer and is often referred to as
“stage IV cancer.”