s through hematogenous spread. Hematogenous spread is the method of metastasis discussed above, where cancer cells break away from the tumor and travel to a new location.
- Cancer can also spread through invasion. This means that the tumor grows directly into surrounding tissues.
- Cancer can spread anywhere in the body. However, it is most likely to spread to areas such as the brain, lungs, bones and liver.
Will All Cancer Eventually Become Metastatic?
No, not all cancer will spread. As previously mentioned, in order for cancer to spread to other areas in the body, genetic changes must occur.
This means any localized tumor has the potential to spread to other organs, but the proper genetic changes must occur at the right time for this to happen.
Keep in mind that when cancer cells are able to break free from the tumor, they must travel to their new location via blood or lymphatic tissue — and they have to survive the journey.
As previously mentioned, not all cells survive the journey; they survive if the body’s defense mechanisms are diminished.
It is also important to note that cancer may spread to other areas of the body but not cause any harm for years — they may actually lie dormant for a long time before the cells begin to proliferate again. This is called “tissue dormancy.”
There are a variety of possible reasons for tissue dormancy:
- A lack of adequate blood supply may prevent the proper amount of oxygen and nutrients needed for growth of the tumor.
- The environment may not be adequate for tumor growth.
- Immune responses may prevent tumor growth.
More research is necessary is still needed to fully understand tumor dormancy.
The Future of Metastatic Cancer
While we obviously hope and pray for a cure for cancer, on the horizon doctors believe they may be able to detect which types of cancers are prone to metastasis. They would do so by looking at genetic changes in the cancer cells.
Research is also being done on treatments that focus on blocking the genetic changes that cause cancer cells to metastasize.