Mesothelioma tends to spread (metastasize) quite quickly. Because of this, many experts consider mesothelioma to be an aggressive form of cancer. Numerous factors can affect how quickly mesothelioma progresses and the areas of the body to which it spreads. Metastatic mesothelioma occurs when malignant cells spread from the primary tumor, in the lining of the lungs or abdomen, to other parts of the body.
When mesothelioma cells metastasize, they usually spread through the lymph nodes. Metastasis depends on the stage of cancer, cell type and treatment. Stage IV mesothelioma has spread to both sides of the body. At this time, mesothelioma cancer cells may have moved to structures and organs away from the initial tumor.
Patients with this stage of cancer may receive palliative treatments that reduce the discomfort and pain of the disease. Mesothelioma cancer can spread throughout the body in several ways, much like other types of cancer that spread in the body in more advanced stages. The spread of mesothelioma cells may be considered localized, regional, or distant, depending on the tissues or organs in which the cancer cells are found. How quickly mesothelioma spreads depends in part on the type of tumor.
Tumors composed of epithelial cells are generally less aggressive and spread more slowly than other types of tumors. Most people with mesothelioma have an epithelioid form. The cell type of a mesothelioma tumor plays an important role in how quickly the disease spreads. Mesothelioma tumors formed by epithelioid cells metastasize more slowly than tumors formed by sarcomatoid cells.
Only pleural mesothelioma has a formal staging system. Describes the spread of cancer through the lining of the breast. It also tells if the cancer has spread to other organs in the body that are close or further away. Mesothelioma progresses rapidly, and the development of metastases can occur as early as in several weeks.
Compared to other types of cancer, it is usually aggressive and fast. Mesothelioma has begun to spread to the chest wall or lining of the heart (pericardium), but it is still possible that it can be removed by surgery. Or it has spread to the lymph nodes on the same side of the chest. If you or your loved one were exposed to asbestos, you may be able to file a lawsuit for mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer.
Metastasis, or spread, of mesothelioma plays an important role in the effectiveness of treatment options. A study found pleural mesothelioma cells in a patient's thigh muscles, even though pleural mesothelioma is a locally aggressive cancer, that is, a form of cancer that tends to spread only to nearby tissues and organs. Although these sites are some of the most common sites for new mesothelioma tumors to grow, the disease can spread to other parts of the body. Mesothelioma spreads due to the movement of microscopic cancer cells from the main tumor to other areas where new tumors form.
Stage III or IV mesothelioma has spread through the lining of organs and is difficult to remove with surgery. Tumor treatment fields, a recently approved treatment, can also slow or prevent the spread of mesothelioma. Patients diagnosed with stage I or II mesothelioma have more treatment options because the cancer is still localized. Patients diagnosed with stage 3 or stage 4 mesothelioma are the most at risk of metastasis and may already have distant metastases.
However, the most common staging system for pleural mesothelioma is the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM system, which analyzes the size of the original tumor (T), whether it has spread to a nearby lymph node (N), and whether it has metastasized (M) to distant sites. This system stages mesothelioma metastasis according to tumor growth and spread to organs or lymph nodes. Mesothelioma specialists have had some success with emerging treatments, such as immunotherapy, which have allowed some patients to live well beyond their prognosis. For example, stage I or II mesothelioma remains located in the lining of the organ and responds better to chemotherapy and surgery.
Mesothelioma cells are found in the inner layer of the pleura (visceral pleura), but only on one side of the chest. . .
