Cancer that spreads from where it started to a distant part of the body is called metastatic cancer. For many types of cancer, it is also called stage IV (4) cancer. The process by which cancer cells spread to other parts of the body is called metastasis.
Most metastases, however, occur within 10 years after removal of the primary tumor.
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.
In some situations, metastatic cancer can be cured. But for most metastatic cancers, treatment does not cure the cancer but it can slow its growth and reduce symptoms. It is possible to live for many months or years with certain types of cancer, even after the development of metastatic disease.
For example, the five-year survival rate for metastatic lung cancer is 7%. This means that 7% of people diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer are still alive five years later. Meanwhile, the five-year survival rate of metastatic breast cancer is 28% for women and 22% for men.
The Challenges of Living with Metastatic Cancer
Cancer that spreads from where it started to a distant part of the body is called metastatic cancer. For many types of cancer, it is also called stage IV (4) cancer. The process by which cancer cells spread to other parts of the body is called metastasis.
Until recently, long-term survivors of advanced or metastatic cancer have primarily been women with metastatic breast cancer. But doctors are now seeing survivors with other types of cancer, including lung, gastrointestinal, kidney cancer, and melanoma.
About one-third of women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in the U.S. live at least 5 years after diagnosis [7]. Some women may live 10 or more years beyond diagnosis [9].
Metastatic breast cancer is always considered advanced stage IV breast cancer because it has spread (metastasized) to different organs or lymph nodes far from the breast.
Lung and bronchial cancer causes more deaths in the U.S. than any other type of cancer in both men and women.
Metastasis is the general term used to describe the spread of cancer cells from the primary tumor to surrounding tissues and to distant organs and is the primary cause of cancer morbidity and mortality.
Indeed, invasion of nearby tissue and seeding at distant sites to form metastases remains a central feature of cancer malignancy (Fig. 1). After all, metastasis constitutes the primary cause of death for >90% of patients with cancer.
Metastasis is a multi-step process encompassing the (i) local infiltration of tumor cells into the adjacent tissue, (ii) transendothelial migration of cancer cells into vessels known as intravasation, (iii) survival in the circulatory system, (iv) extravasation and (v) subsequent proliferation in competent organs ...
In the past, many people did not live long with metastatic cancer. Even with today's better treatments, recovery is not always possible. But doctors can often treat cancer even if they cannot cure it. A good quality of life is possible for months or even years.
The 5-year relative survival rate for women with metastatic breast cancer in the U.S. is 30%. The 5-year survival rate for men with metastatic breast cancer is 19%.
The liver is the most common site of distant metastasis in solid tumors.
In some cases, stage 3 cancers may be considered metastatic cancers, meaning they may have spread beyond their organ of origin. Many stage 3 cancers have multiple subcategories, usually designated as stages 3A, 3B and 3C.
This is also called early-stage cancer. Stage II and III mean the cancer is larger and has grown into nearby tissues or lymph nodes. Stage IV means the cancer has spread to other parts of your body. It's also called advanced or metastatic cancer.
Metastatic breast cancer may never go away completely. But treatment can control its spread. Cancer may even go into remission at some points. This means you have fewer signs and symptoms of cancer.
If you have metastatic, or advanced, breast cancer, you may consider palliative care. This form of medical care treats someone's symptoms and aims to cure their illness. But the main goal of palliative care focuses on the well-being and quality of life for you and your family.
Thanks to newer cancer treatments, some but not all advanced cancers (Stage IV cancer) may go into partial or complete remission.
Despite medical advancements, more than 60% of patients with a solid metastatic cancer experience pain, with about one-third receiving inadequate analgesia. Studies also show that pain prevalence among cancer patients increases with approaching death.
Although the overall prognosis may be poor based on cases with previous patients and older treatments, many patients with stage 4 cancer can live for years. A few factors to keep in mind: Many treatments are available to help fight cancer. The body's response to treatment may differ from that of others.
Brain and pancreatic cancers have much lower median survival rates which have not improved as dramatically over the last forty years. Indeed, pancreatic cancer has one of the worst survival rates of all cancers. Small cell lung cancer has a five-year survival rate of 4% according to Cancer Centers of America's Website.