Cancer Metastatics

Metastatic cancer is commonly called stage IV cancer or advanced cancer. It occurs when cancer cells break off from the original tumor, spread through the bloodstream or lymph vessels to another part of the body, and form new tumors. Even after cancer has invaded another organ, it is still identified by the place where it developed. For example, colon cancer that has spread to the liver is not the same as primary liver cancer. Instead, it is called liver metastases or secondary liver cancer. Breast cancer that spreads to the lungs is still treated like breast cancer, not like lung cancer. If the original tumor responds to the hormone-blocking drugs that are often used to treat breast cancer, then metastatic lung tumors are likely to respond to them as well.