Lets say someone goes to the doctor: The doctor sees tumors in the lungs and in the liver. Why does the doctor know that its liver cancer that spread to the lungs and not lung cancer that spread to the liver?
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Certain tumour cells are more likely to metastasize( move from one organ to another) than others. Some cells(like alveolar cells of lungs) have better chance of surviving in other organs because of their metabolic requirements. Hepatic ( liver) cells have specific conditions required for proliferation while alveolar cells have less specific requirements.
Secondly, if biopsy has been performed, looking at the tumour constituency, it can be determined where it originates from.
Certain tumour cells are more likely to metastasize( move from one organ to another) than others. Some cells(like alveolar cells of lungs) have better chance of surviving in other organs because of their metabolic requirements. Hepatic ( liver) cells have specific conditions required for proliferation while alveolar cells have less specific requirements.
Secondly, if biopsy has been performed, looking at the tumour constituency, it can be determined where it originates from.
For livers and lungs a doctor schedules a procedure called a “biopsy” where they take a bit of tissue out of the tumors. They send that to a specialist called a “histopathologist” that looks at the cells under the microscope and can tell what kind they, are and look for things that tell them more about the cancer.
Tumor cells will tend to look most like the cells that they originally came from, so if you see liver-looking cells from a lung tumor, you know that’s where it came from (and vice-versa).
Usually it’s pretty easy, though. The original tumor is typically pretty big compared to where it spreads to, so it’s pretty obvious even before they look at the cells
Doctors might not take biopsies from risky areas where it could harm a person taking a sample.
For livers and lungs a doctor schedules a procedure called a “biopsy” where they take a bit of tissue out of the tumors. They send that to a specialist called a “histopathologist” that looks at the cells under the microscope and can tell what kind they, are and look for things that tell them more about the cancer.
Tumor cells will tend to look most like the cells that they originally came from, so if you see liver-looking cells from a lung tumor, you know that’s where it came from (and vice-versa).
Usually it’s pretty easy, though. The original tumor is typically pretty big compared to where it spreads to, so it’s pretty obvious even before they look at the cells
Doctors might not take biopsies from risky areas where it could harm a person taking a sample.
If you’re going to an oncologist (cancer doctor), they probably have studied the types of cancer that they’re seeing in the patient. So they see patterns- for example, toe cancer usually spreads to knees, but toe cancer doesn’t usually spread to the brain. This is why it helps to go to a specialist- they know what to look for.
If you’re going to an oncologist (cancer doctor), they probably have studied the types of cancer that they’re seeing in the patient. So they see patterns- for example, toe cancer usually spreads to knees, but toe cancer doesn’t usually spread to the brain. This is why it helps to go to a specialist- they know what to look for.
They don’t always know. Source – an oncologist once asked me how you’d know where someone started painting a room.
Still, many types of cancer tend to come from certain places (small cell from lung cancer, etc).
They don’t always know. Source – an oncologist once asked me how you’d know where someone started painting a room.
Still, many types of cancer tend to come from certain places (small cell from lung cancer, etc).
In addition to what others have said, another predictor is the direction of blood flow.
One of the functions of the liver is to filter the blood being pumped from the digestive system to the heart, so it has several large veins that feed through it. When blood from those veins arrives in the heart, it gets pumped into the lungs to be reoxygenated. Therefore, if cancer starts in the liver and begins to spread via the bloodstream, the lungs are the next likely place for it to go. (Heart cancer is very rare because heart cells are so specialized, but that’s a whole ‘nother topic.)
Contrast that with cancer that starts in the lungs. If it spread via the circulatory system, it would go from lungs to heart, then travel through the arteries to many other possible locations. It’s pretty common (and also pretty terrible) for the brain to be the next stop since it’s relatively close to the heart, but it could spread to other organs as well.
I hope this is just a hypothetical question, OP, and that you and yours are healthy and happy.
In addition to what others have said, another predictor is the direction of blood flow.
One of the functions of the liver is to filter the blood being pumped from the digestive system to the heart, so it has several large veins that feed through it. When blood from those veins arrives in the heart, it gets pumped into the lungs to be reoxygenated. Therefore, if cancer starts in the liver and begins to spread via the bloodstream, the lungs are the next likely place for it to go. (Heart cancer is very rare because heart cells are so specialized, but that’s a whole ‘nother topic.)
Contrast that with cancer that starts in the lungs. If it spread via the circulatory system, it would go from lungs to heart, then travel through the arteries to many other possible locations. It’s pretty common (and also pretty terrible) for the brain to be the next stop since it’s relatively close to the heart, but it could spread to other organs as well.
I hope this is just a hypothetical question, OP, and that you and yours are healthy and happy.
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