| Cancer is a dangerous disease regardless of | | | | cells must attach themselves into a new tissue to |
| where it is located in the body. It is even more | | | | form a secondary tumor. |
| dangerous than normal when it is located in an | | | | The official term for the spread of cancer is |
| area that has a high number of blood vessels or | | | | metastasis. When the cells spread to a different |
| other conveyors of bodily fluids. Tumors in these | | | | part of the body, the new tumor is a metastatic |
| areas are more dangerous because there is a | | | | tumor. The cells are from the original tumor so |
| higher chance that the cells from the original | | | | the new tumor is made up of the same type of |
| tumor will break off and re-establish themselves | | | | cells as the original tumor. For example, if cells |
| elsewhere. | | | | from a breast cancer tumor spread to the lungs, |
| Contrary to what many think, the majority of | | | | the new tumor is made up of cancerous breast |
| deaths from cancer are not actually caused by | | | | cells, not lung cells. The cells will look the same as |
| the original tumor. Death from cancer is most | | | | cells from the original tumor under a microscope. |
| frequently caused by secondary tumors that are | | | | It is possible for cells from one cancer site to |
| formed when the original tumor goes from being | | | | spread to almost any part of the body. If the |
| benign (not harmful) to malignant (harmful). | | | | cells go from the original site to a lymph node |
| Secondary tumors are formed when cells from | | | | near the primary or original tumor, the cancer is |
| the original, primary tumor split away, are carried | | | | called "lymph node involvement" or "regional |
| to other parts of the body (metastasis), and then | | | | disease." If the cells spread far away to the |
| re-establish themselves in the tissues and start to | | | | opposite end of the body, this is "metastatic |
| grow. Metastasis is a very complex process that | | | | disease" or "distant disease." |
| requires a variety of events to be successful. The | | | | When cancer spreads from a solid tumor, it most |
| first thing that must happen is that the cells must | | | | commonly goes to the lungs, bones, liver, and |
| detach themselves from the primary tumor. | | | | brain. While these are the most common locations |
| Next, the cell must be picked up by the | | | | for spreading, no area of the body is really safe. |
| bloodstream or the lymphatic system. Finally, the | | | | |