A27 - Metastasis

Question 1

What is metastasis?

Answer 1

The spread of cancer cells from the place where they first formed to another part of the body.

In metastasis, cancer cells break away from the original (primary) tumor, travel through the blood or lymph system, and form a new tumor in other organs or tissues of the body.

Metastasis is the most important factor of how good/poor the prognosis is. High metastasis = Poor prognosis

Question 2

Classification of metastasis

Answer 2

1. Local = Cancer cells have spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes. This is an early stage of metastasis

2. Regional = Cancer has spread farther, but still in the same region of the body

3. Distant = Cancer cells have spread to form tumors far from the primary site

Anaplastic metastasis =Metastasis causes a different strucute of the new tumour

Prosoplasia = Metastasis can be differentiated from the primary tumour

Question 3

Routes of metastasis

Answer 3

1. Hematogenous
2. Lymphogenous
3. Intracanalicular
4. Implantation inoculation

Question 4

What is hematogenous metastasis?

Answer 4

Happens via the circulation, and is characteisitc to sarcomas

Usually invades via the veins, since the arteies have thickes and more resistant walls.

Question 5

What is lymphogenous metastasis?

Answer 5

a continuous and complicated process in which cancer cells acquire the ability to leave the primary tumor site through the bloodstream and/or the lymphatic system and is characterisiic to carcinomas

Question 6

What is intracanalicular metastasis?

Answer 6

Metastasis via nerves

Question 7

What is implantation inoculation metastasis?

Answer 7

It happens when the tumours burst into serosal cavities and cels from the tumours can implant on serosal layers