What it means
Cancer cells can break away from the original tumor, called the primary, and travel in the blood or lymph to grow somewhere else. That new growth is a metastasis. It is still the same type of cancer, so lung cancer that has spread to bone is not bone cancer. Common sites are lymph nodes, liver, lungs, bones and brain. Reports often say a spot is "suspicious for" metastasis, because a scan alone cannot always be sure.
When it matters
Whether a spot is a metastasis can change the stage of a cancer and the treatment plan, so doctors check carefully. Not every spot in someone with cancer is a metastasis, because small cysts, scars and benign nodules are common. Doctors compare with older scans and may suggest a PET-CT, an MRI or a biopsy. During treatment, reports track whether known metastases shrink, stay stable or grow.
Questions to ask your doctor
- How sure is it that this is a metastasis, and what else could it be?
- Would a biopsy, PET-CT or MRI help confirm it?
- How does this finding affect the stage or my treatment plan?
