Cancer can spread and cause additional tumors to grow in other parts of the body, separate from the original tumor site.
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Cancer can spread and cause additional tumors to grow in other parts of the body, separate from the original tumor site.
When a cancerous tumor grows, it sheds cancer cells into the lymphatic system and into the blood. Usually, these cancerous cells are destroyed by our immune system or other mechanisms. However, sometimes the cancerous cells do spread. For this reason, early stage diagnoses provide a better chance of cure. As tumors grow in size and more cells are shed cancer can spread to lymph nodes or distant organs. When this happens, the chance of cure decreases. Different tumor types tend to spread to specific lymph nodes and organs. There is no certainty about where any given type of cancer can spread.
The lymphatic system is part of the immune system, and is designed to filter infectious agents and cellular waste. Most cancerous tumors shed cancerous cells first to lymph nodes closest to the tumor. If the cancerous cells are not destroyed in the lymph node, they can take up residence within one or more lymph nodes, allowing new tumors to grow.
When metastasis to distant organs occurs, the chance for cure is typically much lower. Many factors determine whether new tumors can form in any number of distant organs. For most cancer types, there tend to be specific organs where metastases are likely to occur. A common organ where a variety of cancers can spread is the liver. As a result, the liver is a common site treated by hyperthermia therapy.
Hyperthermia is a local, non-invasive heat therapy that treats specific sites of tumors in the body. Heat disrupts cell membranes and increases blood flow to the tumor, making the tumor more sensitive and vulnerable both to your body’s natural immune defenses and to other cancer therapies. Hyperthermia therapy is usually combined with chemotherapy or radiation therapy to treat lymph nodes or distant organs where cancer has spread.
The best cancer treatment plans contain the right combination of therapies that have the best chance of results and minimal side effects. Adding hyperthermia maximizes the power of your therapeutic regimen without risking sensitive surrounding organs.