Susan4me,
I saw your question regarding metastises and I was not sure if you were asking me, so I thought I would respond here. As cancer cells make a tumor they are conctantly dividing and replicating. They pile up and it is that pile that creates the tumor. The nature of a cell is to detach itself from its primary site and trail off, many cells do this. they invade nearby tissue in an effort to get nutrients and in doing so, invade nearby tissue. During this process, they enter the blood stream and/or the lymphatic system. Once inside, they look for certain proteins in these vessels called chemokines. These are proteins that direct migrating cells to other sites and they stem from different organs. they invite tumor cells back to their location. Once they near a site they latch onto a vessel wall, invade it, get thru it and then go to that distant site where the protiens on the surface of the tumor cell interact with the proteins on the surface of that organ. They make a connection and that locks them into place. Once they are comfortable in that microenvironment, they set up house and start erecting secondary tumors. It may amaze you to know that a two centimeter lesion (about 1 inch) will break off approximately 3 to 5 million cells into the circulatory or lymphatic systems in a 24 hour period. You have squamous cell carcinoma and certain lung cancers are known for their behaviors. Adenocarcinoma are usually large cells and go to the peripheral parts of the lung. Large cell cancers of the lung are usually derived from a prior history of a lung insult like pneumonia, they are referred to as "scar carcinoma." Squamous cell is known to cavitate, create cavities or caves, pockets where the tumor can hide. Squamous and small cell lung cancers tend to migrate to the center of the lung which brings it closer by geography to the vessels they travel in. I hope this explains this a bit for you. One more thing, when a cancer metastisizes to the brain then that becomes brain "cancer" albiet metastatic brain cancer. The word cancer by its very definition means to be crablike and move. Cancer that originates in the brain does not move and therefore is not referred to as a cancer but rather a malignant or nonmalignant tumor. The behaviors of both are distinctly different. Best of luck to you and I am here if you should have any other questions. I commend you for asking, knowledge is power, Carm RN.
0
May 2013
Susan4me,
