Metastasis and Metastatic Cancer

In simple term, spreading of cancer is known as metastasis. Before writing about metastasis, I want to write about primary cancer. When cancer begins in a part of body is known as primary cancer. At an advance stage of cancer, the cells of original tumor broke down, transport to other part of body through lymphatic vessels or by blood stream, and create tumor there. This is known as metastasis and the tumor is known as metastatic tumor. The disease is known as metastatic cancer
For an example, if lung cancer cells spread to brain and form tumor over there, then the disease is metastatic lung cancer not brain cancer. In this case the brain tumor cell resemble with lung cancer cell not with brain cell.
Since blood travels through out body, so spreading of cancer is common from one part to another part of body. Common examples are breast cancer metastasizes to lungs, liver bones and brain. Prostate cancer spread to bones.
As the cancer cells travel through blood or lymphatic fluid so, it is common to found cancer cell in blood. In that case, the phenomenon is not considered as metastasis.
Treatment of metastasis
Generally, metastatic cancer is treated with chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, cryosurgery hormone therapy etc. Sometimes it needs combination of therapy. Treatment of metastatic cancer solely depends on size, age and location of cancer. Chemotherapy kills cancerous cell. Sometimes it was give with anticancer drug.

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a lung disease, which cause due to inhalation of asbestos fiber. Generally two types of asbestos fibers found in nature.

1. amphibole which is thin and straight fiber
2. serpentine, which is curved fiber.

The amphibole fibers penetrate easily into deeper part of lungs and reach alveoli. Alveoli is like a air sac which responsible for gaseous exchange ( oxygen from lungs to blood and elimination of carbon dioxide) . These asbestos fibers then triggered inflammatory reaction and form a scar (fiber) like tissue with in alveoli. This fibrous issue thickens alveolar wall. That’s why it losses elasticity and can’t expand or can’t perform gaseous exchange.

The severity of asbestosis depends upon how long the patient exposed to asbestos and how much he inhaled.

In more severe case, right sided heart failure may occur as lungs stiffen. It is also known as Cor pulmonale

Peritoneal mesothelioma

The inner lining of abdomen is known a Peritoneum. This lining protects abdomen. When cancer develops from peritoneum cells, the condition is known as peritoneal mesothelioma. It occurs in much lesser percentage pleural mesothelioma.Less than 30% of mesothelioma patient suffering from peritoneal mesothelioma. Generally pleural mesothelioma cells pass through lymph nodes or blood stream and cause cancer their
Asbestos and peritoneal mesothelioma
It is still not clear that how asbestos affect growth of cancer in peritoneum. But it was believed that when asbestos particle ingested somehow or when asbestos particle pass through lymph nodes or blood stream from lungs to abdomen then it triggered the peritoneal cells to divide uncontrollably and form cancer.

source:peritoneal mesothelioma

Lung Cancer stage

Lung cancer stage is determined on size of tumor and degree of spreading.
There are Five stages of lung cancer.
Stage 0 lung cancer- At this level the cancerous cell limited within the inner lining of lung.
Stage 1 lung cancer- At stage 1 lung cancer, cancer is small and didn’t invade lymph node.
Stage 2 lung cancer- At this stage,cancerous tissue invades some lymph nodes close to original tumor.
Stage 3 lung cancer-At this stage, cancerous cell invades near by healthy tissues and lymph nodes, which are away from original tumor.
Stage 4 lung cancer-This is the end stage of lung cancer. At this stage, cancer spread other parts of the body like, brain, liver etc
source:-stages of lung cancer

Symptoms of lung cancer

Lung cancer cannot detect so easily. Generally, it detected when people go through chest X ray for some other reason.
There are many symptoms of lung cancer.
Chest pain is very common symptom of lung cancer. About 25% people who are suffering from lung cancer complain about chest pain.
Suffering from cough for long time is another symptom of lung cancer.
Some time there is bloodstain in sputum.
Difficulty or pain in breathing is also a symptom of lung cancer.
Shortening of breath is another symptom, which caused due to blockage of air passage. The air passage blocks due to two common reasons.
1. The air passage is blocked as liquid accumulate in pleura. This is also known as pleural effusion.
2. Due to growth of tumor, the passage is blocked.
3. Loss of appetite, fatigue and weight loss are other symptoms.
Finger clubbing
There is another very rare symptom of lung cancer, which is known as finger clubbing in which the shape of finger and fingernail changes. Finger Clubbing occurs in case of advance stage of disease. About 35% people with non small cell lung cancer found to have Finger clubbing but in contrast only 4% people suffering from small cell lung cancer have Finger clubbing.In Finger clubbing the nail curves and the tips of the fingers become large. It is also known as drumstick fingers.

Mesothelioma, types of mesothelioma, symptoms of mesothelioma, diagnosis of mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer. Actually it is called mesothelioma because in this case malignant tumor develops from cell of mesothelium. Mesothelium is covering tissue which covers all kind of human internal organ. When cells of mesothelium grows uncontrollably and forms malignant tumor then it is know as mesothelioma.
This type of cancer found in case of person who works with asbestos..Even person who washes cloth of person works with asbestos can be infected with this disease.
Types of mesothelioma.
By location of mesothelioma cancer is divided into two types.
Pleural mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma
What is Pleural Mesothelioma
Mesothelium is inner lining of internal organs like heart, lungs, abdomen etc. The mesothelium of lung is known as pleura or pleural membrane.It comprises of two membrane the outer one lines the chest cavity and diaphragm and the inner lining protects lungs. When cancer develops from cells of pleura is known as pleural mesothelium .Generally pleural mesothelioma cancer develops in one layer but it can spread to other layer.
Cause of pleural mesothelioma
Asbestos and mesothelioma-Asbestos is main cause of mesothelioma cancer especially pleural mesothelioma. People exposed to asbestos have greater risk because while working they inhale asbestos particles. These asbestos fibers then trapped in between layer of mesothelia. Our body cannot eliminate these asbestos fibers. Those particles then initiate pleural cells to multiply uncontrollably. Due to this reason the pleural layer thickens and fluid accumulate at the space that is known as pleural effusion. This fluid then put pressure on lungs cause difficulties in breathing
Symptoms of mesothelioma
Mesothelioma symptoms appears generally after 30/40 years after exposure of asbestos.
In case of pleural mesothelioma patient complain about chest pain and shortening of breath.

source: pleural mesothelioma

Lung cancer and types of Lung cancer

Lung cancer is a type of cancer in which cells of lung multiply vigorously and uncontrollably and form tumor. Tumor can be malignant or benign. Malignant tumors are dangerous. They invade surrounding tissue and destroy them. Sometime they pass through lymph node or blood stream and infect different parts of body.
Types of lung cancer
There are two types of lungs cancer.
1. Small cell lung cancer or SCLC
2. Non Small cell lung cancer or NSCLC

Small cell lung cancer or SCLC is rare one. Out of every 100-lung cancer patients, 20 are diagnosed with this type of cancer.
This type of cancer is named so because the cancer cells are small and filled up with nucleus. But it grows very fast This type of cancer also know as oat cell lungs cancer.
Smoking is the main reason of this cancer. It is very rare in case of nonsmokers.

Non Small cell lung cancer is most common type of lungs cancer. About 80% people who are suffering from lung cancer are diagnosed with Non small cell lung cancer.
This type of cancer grows slowly compare to SCLC.
There are three types of NSCLC

1. Squamous cell carcinoma
2. Adenocarcinoma
3. Large cell carcinoma

Squamous cell cancer is most common type of lung cancer. It commonly develops in inner lining of both bronchi.

Adenocarinoma develops from the cell, which produces mucus known as phlegm. Normal occurance of this type of cancer is outer region of lungs.

Large cell carcinoma is named so because they look as large cell under microscope.
The Non small cell lung cancer or NSCLC generally develops in both smokers and passive smokers.

Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is another rare type of lungs cancer, which develops on pleura of lung.
People who are more exposed to asbestos are affected by this kind of cancer.