Stage 4 cancer has spread from its original location to distant parts of the body. It's sometimes referred to as metastatic cancer. This stage may be diagnosed years after the initial cancer diagnosis and/or after the primary cancer has been treated or removed.
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.
stage 4 – the cancer has spread from where it started to at least 1 other body organ, also known as "secondary" or "metastatic" cancer.
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.
It is usually used to describe cancer that cannot be cured. Doctors sometimes use other words to describe advanced cancer. For example, they may use metastatic or secondary cancer to describe cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Depending on the cancer type, it may also be called stage 4 cancer.
The term stage 5 isn't used with most types of cancer. Most advanced cancers are grouped into stage 4. An exception is Wilms tumor, or nephroblastoma, a childhood cancer that originates in the kidneys. Stage 5 Wilms tumors are those that affect both kidneys.
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.
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 ...
Stage 4 cancer usually can't be cured. In addition, because it's usually spread throughout the body by the time it's diagnosed, it is unlikely the cancer can be completely removed. The goal of treatment is to prolong survival and improve your quality of life.
You will often receive chemo in sessions where you have treatment for several weeks, followed by a few weeks off before resuming. Your tumor may start to shrink after one round, but it can also take months. Your oncologist will have a personal discussion with you about how long they think results might take.
Because of chemotherapy's considerable side effects, it may not be safe for individuals who have underlying conditions. If your oncologist worries that your body is not strong enough to withstand chemotherapy, they will likely recommend other treatment options.
TLDR: the most curable forms of cancer include: colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer. Stage 1 cancer is also curable, especially when caught in its early stages. The earlier you detect cancer, the higher your odds are of curing it before it becomes severe.
Metastatic cancer is fatal because it has the ability to spread inside the body. The cancer could infect the nearby tissues by spreading. The cells could spread regionally also, such as, organs, tissues, and lymph nodes. When this type of spread happens, it is also termed as stage four cancer, done by metastasis.
Which Type of Cancer Spreads the Fastest? The fastest-moving cancers are pancreatic, brain, esophageal, liver, and skin. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most dangerous types of cancer because it's fast-moving and there's no method of early detection.
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.
In most cases, metastatic cancer is not curable. However, treatment can slow growth and ease many of the associated symptoms. It's possible to live for several years with some types of cancer, even after it has metastasized.
The median survival from the diagnosis of bone metastasis is 6 months in melanoma; 6–7 months in the lung; 6–9 months in the bladder; 12 months in renal cell carcinoma; 12–53 months in the prostate; 19–25 months in malignant melanoma; and 48 months in the thyroid [31].
They assume disseminating cancer cells to be autonomously growing and suggest that the primary tumour at metastasis initiation is only slightly smaller than at the time of tumour diagnosis2,3. If correct, metastases grow much faster than primary tumours.
They commonly go to the part of the brain called the cerebral hemispheres or to the cerebellum, where they form a mass. Some metastatic brain tumors appear many years after the primary cancer. Others metastasize so quickly that they are identified before the primary cancer.
The most common clinical symptom of bone metastasis is bone pain, which is usually localized and progresses slowly. Patients may experience worsening of pain at night or while ambulating, depending on the site of bone metastasis.
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.
Metastatic cancer is diagnosed with imaging (CT scans, MRIs, and/or PET scans) to determine the extent of disease and with a biopsy of a tumor so that a pathologist can identify the specific type of cancer. There are many treatments for metastatic cancer.
All cancers can spread. But the term metastatic cancer is usually only used to describe solid tumours, such as breast, prostate or lung cancer, that have spread to another part of the body.