How does cancer metastasize? Remind again: When cancer cells spread, the body often has these 4 symptoms

The 66-year-old Xu has been fighting cancer for three years. From the first lung cancer with lymph nodes to the metastasis in the liver, Xu has been actively facing it for three years.

After undergoing various anti-tumor treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and intervention, the old man Xu often said with a smile that he was almost becoming a tumor doctor.

However, the latest re-examination left old man Xu at a loss. On this day, Mr. Xu went to the hospital for a reexamination as usual, and the abdominal CT result showed that it was kidney metastases . Another transfer shook the old man Xu who insisted on treatment.

The whole operation went very smoothly, it only took 15 minutes, and the old man Xu's body tolerated it very well. Two days after the operation, the old man Xu had no other discomfort, recovered well and was discharged from the hospital smoothly.

1. Nature: Cancer cells metastasize faster when people sleep

The reason why cancer is terrible is not only its rapid development, but also its infinite proliferation and spread, involving other organs. About 90% of cancer patients die because of "cancer metastasis" .

A recent new study found that cancer cell metastasis will accelerate invasion during sleep.

The study was published in Nature. Researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and the University of Basel sampled 30 female breast cancer patients and found that the tumor cell level circulates faster during nighttime sleep .

Researcher Professor Nicola Aceto said that when the patient fell asleep, the tumor would wake up.

Another recent study found that the viscosity of extracellular fluid also has an impact on cancer cell metastasis.

Published on "Nature" in November, a research team from Johns Hopkins University found that the viscosity of extracellular fluid can activate the pathway of cancer cell metastasis , enhance the vitality of cancer cells, and finally promote the metastasis of cancer cells from the primary tumor to other parts move.

2. How do cancer cells metastasize?

Cancer cell metastasis means that cancer cells leave the initial focus, spread to other organs or tissues in the body through the blood, lymphatic system or other channels, and take root and sprout on new "soil".

How do cancer cells metastasize in the human body? Generally divided into 4 ways:

1. Infiltrating growth

Metastasis is characterized by infiltration, and the occurrence of metastasis must include the process of infiltration, but the occurrence of infiltration does not necessarily mean metastasis.

The tumor spreads to normal tissues by infiltrating and growing around. In addition to involving the surrounding organs, it can also invade the surrounding blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and even distant metastasis.

2. Lymphatic metastasis

Lymphatic vessels are distributed throughout the body, but they are also easy to be invaded. When the tumor soaks into the lymph along the collected lymph fluid, it survives and is transported in the lymphatic vessels. After reaching the lymph nodes, it stays and proliferates, forming metastases, and "develops obscenely" in the lymph nodes After that, distant transfer can continue.

3. Blood transfer

Tumors can also metastasize to the whole body through blood channels, which is common in advanced cancers or highly malignant tumors . Through systemic blood circulation, tumor cells often metastasize to liver, lung, bone, brain and other parts.

4. Transplantation

This kind of metastasis is most common in tumors in the abdominal cavity. After the tumor cells continue to grow and break through the visceral serosa, the cancer cells will fall off into the chest cavity or abdominal cavity and spread to adjacent organs, thereby multiplying and forming many small secondary cancers nodules.

Different cancers may have different "metastasis preferences":

• Breast cancer prefers direct invasion or lymphatic metastasis, and then bone metastasis;
• Lung cancer can metastasize through blood, enter the brain, and metastasize distantly;
• Ovarian metastases caused by gastric cancer cells detached to the surface of the ovary.

3. There are 4 abnormalities in the body, which may be the metastasis of cancer cells

Relapse is very common in cancer patients. Even if metastasis occurs, effective signals can be used to detect early and treat in time to help prolong life. So what are the early signals of cancer metastasis?

1. Unexplained fever

"Cancer fever" is a common clinical tumor fever. When the tumor tissue is necrotic, the tumor invades the celiac plexus, tumor metabolites enter the bloodstream, and tumor brain metastases, etc., can cause fever.

2. Sudden weight loss

Cancer is a chronic wasting disease, but effective treatment and postoperative nutritional supplementation can be used to maintain a stable weight. However, if there is unexplained weight loss in a short period of time, it is necessary to pay attention to whether it is caused by tumor recurrence.

3. Blocks appear

A firm mass with a palpable texture and poor mobility is usually a manifestation of malignant metastases.

4. Symptoms of pain

When tumor metastasis occurs, it is often accompanied by obvious pain, such as bone metastasis, bone pain, and brain metastasis, intermittent headache.

4. If the cancer metastasizes, is it hopeless?

When some cancer patients learn that the cancer in their body has recurred and metastasized, they may think in their hearts, "Am I hopeless?"

Tumor recurrence and metastasis can be attributed to several reasons. One is that the treatment is not standardized and thorough ; Let your guard down and revert to your old unhealthy lifestyle.

Does the occurrence of transfer mean that "it is hopeless"?

For patients with tumor metastases, various treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and anti-angiogenic therapy are currently used. After active cooperation, the 5-year survival period of the patients has been prolonged .

Of course, we should also pay attention to tumor prevention in daily life: in addition to standard and complete tumor treatment, we should also pay attention to improving tumor physique through diet control, scientific exercise, and maintaining optimism.

The most important thing is to remember to review regularly, observe your physical condition and changes at any time, and if you find small signals, you should also ask a doctor in time to control the possibility of tumor changes and development earlier.

References:

[1] "Nature's major discovery: When people fall asleep, tumors wake up, and cancer cells accelerate division and metastasis during sleep." Biological World. 2022-06-24

[2] "Nature: Higher viscosity of extracellular fluid, smoother metastasis of cancer cells". China Biotechnology Network. 2022-11-10

[3] "Tumor cells, where is the "way" of metastasis?" ". Anticancer Journal. 2017-06-06

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