Q&A: What is the difference between metastasized brain cancer and cancer that started in the brain?
Question by Blue Bear: What is the difference between metastasized brain cancer and cancer that started in the brain?
My mother had lung cancer a year ago and although it has not returned, she now has a tumor in her brain the size of a dime. It is cancerous …. so what is the prognosis and what is the difference between this type of brain cancer (where it originated in the lungs) and brain cancer that originiates in the brain. Also, what is the prognosis?
Best answer:
Answer by ranishwaura
Cancer originating in a particular organ for the first time is called Primary neoplasm.
Metastasis is its secondary spread through blood or lymph.
Prognosis really depends on histological type of the cancer but metastasis generally requires more aggressive treatment in the form of chemo & radio because it is wide-spread.
My best wishes are with your mother and you as her family in the battle against this cancer.
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Filed under: Brain Cancer
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A cancer that metastasizes to a different location is the same “kind” of cancer that it was originally. It pretty much acts and reacts just like the primary.
For example, brain cancer responds to a certain set of chemo drugs. Lung cancer responds to a different set of chemo drugs. Lung cancer that spreads to the brain does not all of a sudden start responding to the set of drugs used for brain cancer … it does however show response to the lung cancer set of drugs.
Although I don’t have an answer for you I do want to wish you and your mother the best outcome possible.
Well it means that it has travelled. The first cancer was in her lungs and was eradicated but there were still cancerous cells which travelled and are obviously elsewhere in the body.
She will need more potent treatment and for a longer period of time this time around.
There are over 200 types of cancers, and even though this is a second time around battle for her, it doesn’t mean she can’t win this one and beat it back a second time.
So much depends on your outlook and your will. Keep her positive and be strong for her. I know it’s tough but knowing you have love and support as you enter into this new battle means the world when trying to conquer a disease like this.
visit http://www.cancerssociety.org for more info