Metastatic cancer: Here's everything you need to know
New Delhi : Though we succeeded in reaching the Moon and now, attempting to explore the Sun but we are yet to find the exact cause and treatment of cancer. The disease is unpredictable and may snatch the life of an individual, all of a sudden. Lately, the Bollywood actor Sonali Bendre came to know that she is suffering from metastatic cancer. The 43-year-old actor is known for her role in the films like Hum Saath Saath Hain, Sarfarosh, Duplicate and Kal Ho Na Ho.
Sonali Bendre has been diagnosed with high-grade cancer that has metastasized. She is currently undergoing a course of treatment in New York. Now, many of us might wonder, what is metastatic cancer? What are the symptoms and how can you identify it? Here, is a brief about the disease which is typically labelled in stages from I to IV, with IV being the most serious.
Metastatic Cancer
The kind of cancer stage is considered high-grade as the cancer cells look very different from normal cells. The cancers cells often tend to grow quickly and have a worse outlook so they may need different treatments than low-grade cancers.
A metastatic cancer, or metastatic tumour, is one which has spread regionally to distant area(s) of the body. For example, breast cancer that spreads to the lung is called metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer. It is treated as stage IV breast cancer, not as lung cancer.
Symptoms of metastatic cancer
It is not easy to spot the symptoms of metastatic cancer as it does not always cause any direct problems. However, the common causes depend on the size and location of the tumour. Here are a few symptoms which can be considered
• Pain or fracture, if the muscles or bones are affected
• Headache, seizure or nausea, if it affects the brain
• If cancer reaches the lungs, it can cause shortness of breath
• Jaundice or swelling in the belly, if it goes to the liver
Cancer cells move through the walls of lymph nodes or blood vessels into the nearby normal tissue. It then travels through the lymphatic system and bloodstream while stooping in small blood vessels at distant locations, invading the blood vessel walls and moving into the surrounding tissue. A tiny tumour grows and creates a blood supply that helps it grow further.
Primary body parts for metastatic cancer
Metastatic cancer can spread to different parts of the body. While the primary sites are bladder, breast, colon, uterus, melanoma, ovary, pancreas, stomach and thyroid, it can move on to bone, liver, lung and brain.
Prevention of metastatic cancer
Though no proper treatment has been discovered, yet, experts believe that a simple, balanced lifestyle and proper diet can help stop cancer from growing in the body. A few nutrients like Vitamin D, EGCG, ursolic acid, curcumin and sulforaphane can help keep cancer at bay. Green tea, eggs, salmon, mushroom, milk and a plant-based diet are a few foods to consider.
