What is Metastasis?
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Metastasis is a scary word when it comes to cancer. It means that the cancer has spread from where it started to other parts of the body. In metastasis, cancer cells break away from the original (primary) tumor, travel through the blood or lymph system, and form a new tumor in other organs or tissues of the body.
Doctors use the word “metastasized” to describe cancer that has spread. This is usually a sign that the cancer is more advanced and harder to treat. The new tumor that forms in another part of the body is the same kind of cancer as the original tumor. So, if breast cancer spreads to the lung, the cancer cells in the lung are still breast cancer cells, not lung cancer cells.
Recently, researchers developed a deep-learning model to predict metastatic potential in cancer cells. It’s really easy to use, just a simple microscope and a little bit of computing power. And it’s just as accurate as more complicated methods.
Knowing what kind of cancer cells are involved in metastasis can help doctors decide on the best course of treatment. This is really important because different types of cancer respond better to different treatments. Current methods to categorize cancer cells involve advanced instruments, time-consuming biological techniques, or chemical labels to track cancer cells.
When cancer cells spread to other parts of the body, the most common places for them to go are the lungs, liver, bones, and brain. It’s important for doctors to keep an eye out for metastases in these areas, especially if someone has already been diagnosed with cancer. By catching them early, they can hopefully be treated more effectively.