The Online Asbestos, Asbestos Cancer, & Mesothelioma Authority
Metastasis / Recurance
While metastasis and recurrence are related, the terms are not exactly synonymous. More accurately, metastasis is a specific type of recurrence that happens when a cancer appears in a distant part of the body. For example, mesothelioma has been known to metastasize to the gastrointestinal tract as well as the brain.
There are two other types of recurrence, which are far more common. The first type is called local recurrence. In this case, the cancer reappears in the same part of the body in which it was first diagnosed. The other type is known as regional recurrence. This is common with mesothelioma; it means that the cancer has spread to nearby tissues and lymph nodes.
While the objective of cancer treatment is to destroy all cancerous cells, there is always a chance that some of these may have been undetected. Such undetected cells may simply lie dormant for months or even years after the rest of the disease has been treated.
Some types of cancer are more likely to recur or metastasize than others. Mesothelioma and breast cancer are two varieties that are more prone to recurrence than others. With mesothelioma, it happens because of the size of asbestos fibers that are in the body to begin with. These are actually microscopic, and as such, can pass though the same routes as the body's own cells.
If you have undergone treatment for cancer which is now in remission, your oncologist is likely to schedule several follow-up appointments and regular check-ups. S/he can advise you on symptoms or signs to look for as well as options should the cancer recur.
The good news is that cancer recurrences are highly treatable today, which was not the case fifty years ago. Even if the cancer cannot be cured or eliminated, many treatments and therapies can slow further spread of the cancer and relieve pain and other symptoms.
- Mayo Clinic. "When Cancer Returns: How To Cope With Cancer Recurrence" (Online Article). http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cancer/CA00050 Updated 23 February 2007. Retrieved 25 August 2007.
- People Living With Cancer. "Dealing With Cancer Recurrence" (Online Article).
http://www.plwc.org/portal/site/PLWC/menuitem.034b98abc65a8f566343cc10ee37a01d/?vgnextoid=c7b7ea97a56d9010VgnVCM100000f2730ad1RCRD Retrieved 25 August, 2007.