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Medicine vocabulary · Diseases by System

Metastasis

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/məˈtæstəsɪs/nounCommon term

In medicine, metastasis means: The spread of cancer cells from where they first grew to another part of the body; also a new tumor formed in this way.

In Turkish: metastaz

How it is used

The plural is metastases, often shortened to 'mets' on the ward: 'liver mets', 'bone mets'. The verb is metastasise and the adjective metastatic: 'metastatic breast cancer'. Finding metastases usually changes the stage and the aims of treatment.

Example sentences

  1. The CT scan shows metastases in the liver and lungs.

  2. Bone pain in a patient with prostate cancer may be the first sign of metastasis.

Common collocations

  • distant metastasis
  • liver metastases
  • bone metastases
  • metastatic disease
  • cancerA disease in which abnormal cells grow out of control, can destroy nearby tissue and may spread to other parts of the body.
  • malignantCancerous, and able to grow into nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body; also used for conditions that are very dangerous.
  • tumorAn abnormal lump or mass of tissue that forms when cells divide more than they should; it can be benign or malignant.
  • prognosisA doctor's opinion about how an illness is likely to develop and what the chances of recovery or survival are.
  • chemotherapyTreatment with drugs that kill cancer cells or stop them dividing, usually given in cycles with rest periods in between.

More terms: Diseases by System

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.